


You Taught Us To Hope

by Gmni76



Category: Terminator (Movies), Terminator - All Media Types
Genre: F/F, Fate & Destiny, G!P Grace, I changed the timeline, Life in the Apocalypse, Slow Burn, True Love, not so slow burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-29
Updated: 2020-05-04
Packaged: 2021-03-02 00:08:10
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 22
Words: 39,325
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23915812
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gmni76/pseuds/Gmni76
Summary: “Hope is the thing with feathersThat perches in the soulAnd sings the tune without the wordsAnd never stops at all.”― Emily Dickinson
Relationships: Grace Harper/Dani Ramos
Comments: 39
Kudos: 87





	1. Chapter 1

The future had never been overly bright. The nukes dropped that second day had left the world in a permanent shade of gray. Even when the sun was shining, there was just really nothing to see. The world had not only ended, it was dead. Cities had become tombs, littered with the remains of a once-flourishing civilization. Now, the urban centers were static husks of that former era. Buildings that were once raised up into the sky toppled and fell during storms and strong winds. Some collapsed under their own weight. Smaller buildings were now just burnt out skeletons; no more than crumbling concrete and broken rebar. Roads still carved up the landscape, crusted over with ages of dirt, ash, and debris. Abandoned vehicles lined the highways, clogging traffic for miles and miles when the power went out. There were bones everywhere. There were always bones. Occasionally, a group of scavengers would to gather up the dead and make a grave somewhere beside the road, away from the deathtrap cities. No one ever got very far with those projects. Hunter/Killers were always looking for survivors. Legion’s mission was to send every living person to the same fate as the wagons full of bones. Legion could not accept anything but total annihilation. 

Grace had grown up with this harsh truth of the world. She was little when it all began. She did not remember much of the former world. A sudden traumatic event like the apocalypse tends to do that. Most of the kids who survived had to learn to compartmentalize their loss and learn to live in a literal hell. The memories of this life long gone were kept by the older generations. That’s what the Resistance was fighting for. Humanity did not seem to mean much. Human life felt only like numbered days. You were born, you ran, you hid, until Legion decided to pick you off. It was not a troublesome thought to the kids who grew up after Judgement Day. It was just a fact of life. Grace Harper was no different in that respect. Even after Dani Ramos found her in that bombed out shell of a department store, Grace did not believe she would ever have a purpose or hope. She had long since given up on hope. Birthdays, Christmas, Thanksgiving, Halloween; everything any normal kid ever hoped for was just a distant memory, lost in dreams... 

Occluded by nightmares. 

The reality of this new world was cold. Everything was cold. The few places that had managed to generate electricity were far away. They were rumors that adults told children at night to get them to be quiet. Grace had dreams of running water, cereal, cartoons, her father. Grace missed her family every single day. After Dani Ramos found her that afternoon, alone, skinny, starving, Grace was introduced to a new family. They were all Resistance fighters. The last vestige of hope for humanity knew no gender or class or race. As Dani Ramos liked to put it, “we are ALL in this together. We live together, we fight together, and we will die together.” Her words had a way with people, Grace remembered. Grace recalled the first time she heard Dani give a speech to the survivors that would probably have devoured her had Dani not shown up. Dani was a force of nature, one that could not be bent to the will of Legion. And men seemed to tremble before her. It was not fear they felt. It was something deeper. It was awe... it was hope. 

Grace had joined the Resistance the first chance she got. The rules of the old world did not necessarily apply anymore. There weren’t legal rules banning enlistments in the military. You did not have to be 18. You did not have to be 21 to drink now. The age of adulthood was basically whenever you thought you could make your first kill. Grace enlisted when she was 16. There were no more hard and fast rules telling you how you could and could not live. Societal norms had virtually disintegrated when the bombs fell and people starved to death. Humanity was a coalition now. Everyone worked, and everyone ate. 

Grace had always admired Dani Ramos. She had lived close enough to Dani for the first several years after her rescue. The neighborhood, if you can call it that, was just a cluster of old apartment buildings that had not been completely shredded by the war. Dani lived upstairs from Grace and her people. She was gone a lot. Grace did not see her more than about once a month in the beginning. That all began to change when Grace enlisted. Her method had some madness. Yes, Grace wanted to have a purpose and to kill terminators. That went without saying. Her other purpose, was to get close to Dani. For a long time, Grace did not understand her feelings for Dani. It was just a stupid kid crush. As Grace got a little older, into her teenage years, she had watched two of her family members fall in love with each other. Grace witnessed them stealing kisses in the hall when they thought no one was watching. She remembered how Jerry’s eyes traveled over Hanna’s face; and how Hanna would reach out and touch his shoulder before he pulled her into a soft embrace. Grace finally identified what it was she felt. That was how she felt about Dani. All she wanted in life was the chance to pursue that. 

Grace grew up tall. She put on muscle during her first years in the Resistance. She was strong. She was confident. She volunteered for every mission she could. Grace rose in the ranks and landed a field promotion to sergeant. That would help get her closer to Dani. Non-coms and officers often made trips to headquarters for duty assignments from the commander. On one particular mission, Grace’s head was full of pipe dreams about being with Dani when the Rev-7 formation descended upon her company. The ambush was faster than lightning. So many of her fellow soldiers fell dead as Legion’s true purpose refused to die. In that ambush, Grace had suffered a serious stab wound. It went straight through her chest on the left side, puncturing her lung. She had heard trauma medics talk about sucking chest wounds, but that day, Grace finally got to hear the sickly sound it made. Every breath she took, laying there in the blood-soaked dirt, was a testament to pain. The medics hauled her in to the main hospital. She did not remember too much after that until she woke up a few hours later. 

Grace was clean for probably the first time in 10 years. She was lying in a bed, covered in clean white linens. The smell of the room was antiseptic. Her chest hurt. The doctor had told her she was lucky to have survived. Few of her comrades came back that day. He told Grace that someone would be coming by later to talk to her. Grace’s mind was hazy with painkillers, and she drifted back into unconsciousness. 

Dani Ramos made the short trip through the bunker, heading directly to the med bay. She had heard the news of the ambush. They told her Grace had been hurt. Dani could not stop herself from going, even if she wanted to. She had to see Grace. Dani had to know that the woman she had loved before Judgement Day was still alive. 

Dani crept quietly into Grace’s hospital room. It had been through her own orders that Grace be given a room to herself for now. Dani moved to stand beside the bed, looking down on the fragile form laying in front of her. “Grace”, Dani whispered. She reached down to touch Grace’s shoulder, bringing the blonde gently from sleep. Grace’s blue eyes snapped open suddenly, not seeing Dani. Wherever Grace had been in that nightmare, she thought it was real. Her hand shot up and grabbed Dani’s wrist on her shoulder. Dani’s reflexes were keen, and she pressed her other hand onto Grace’s, holding it close to her. “Grace. It’s ok. Come back to me,” Dani whispered again. Her hushed tone soothed Grace back to wakefulness. She was completely disoriented. Dani reached down and stroked the blonde hair away from her eyes. “It’s me, Grace.” 

Grace looked up, her eyes finally focusing on Dani’s gentle features. A sight for sore eyes. Grace loosened her grip on Dani’s hand, but noticed that the commander did not pull away from her. Dani continued to softly rub her fingertips across Grace’s forehead. “Commander Ramos. What are you doing here?” Grace croaked. Her throat was so dry. 

“Do you need some water, Grace?” Dani released the woman and turned to the bedside table to pour a glass of water from the stainless-steel pitcher. She slipped a hand behind Grace’s head to help her lean up a little. She brought the cup to Grace’s lips and let her drink. 

Grace groaned at the sensation of cool water hitting her tongue. Once she had her fill, she leaned back, and Dani let her lay back down. She kept her hand under Grace’s head, gently curling her fingers into the back of the blonde’s neck. “Thank you, Commander”, Grace finally managed to say. 

“Stop with that shit. You call me Dani. You have always called me Dani. I don’t care if you outrank me eventually. It’s Dani to you.” The brunette’s voice was always authoritative, even if she was teasing a little. Grace’s face flushed. She nodded in agreement. 

“Dani. What are you doing here?” 

Dani began to tell Grace how she had heard about the ambush. She told Grace she was concerned about her, that her injuries were reported as severe and her condition was critical. The truth was, Grace was over the moon that Dani was here with her. Had she known the commander would have come running for her like this, she might have let herself get hurt a long time ago. Grace stifled a laugh. She knew that wasn’t true. It just went to show the extremes Grace would endure to be near Dani. 

Dani stopped talking and just stared at the area where Grace had been stabbed. It was covered in a thick bandage now. She wanted more than anything to take away Grace’s pain. Ever since the day Grace showed up at the car factory, Dani had seen her endure nothing but pain. It broke Dani’s heart to watch Grace suffer tragedy after tragedy. That was why she had done her damnedest to distance herself from Grace. Dani knew she could not stop the end of the world. But maybe, just maybe she could stop Grace’s pain and prevent her death. Dani sighed and slipped her hand out from under Grace’s head. She knew she had no power to do that. 

Grace gazed up into deep amber colored eyes. She did not know what Dani was thinking, but she could clearly feel that it was heavy. She reached a hand up to touch Dani’s cheek. The commander allowed it, squeezing her eyes shut tight. She was fighting back that surge of emotion. That old feeling was tearing its way through her again. She thought her feelings for Grace were imagined, brought on by impossible circumstances. Losing Grace at the dam was the hardest thing Dani had ever endured. And here she was again, younger, not yet augmented. Their separate fates had STILL managed to cross paths. Dani opened her eyes and tears fell silently down her cheeks. Grace stared at her quizzically, but held her face steady. “What’s wrong, Dani?” Grace could not know about her future past self, coming to protect Dani. And Dani would do her level best to prevent it from happening again. 

Here, in this moment, Dani needed to ground herself. She could feel her mind spinning out in all directions. Her ears were ringing, her heart was in her throat. One single moment of bravery was all she needed. Dani relented to the swell of emotions threatening her sanity. She dipped her head and claimed Grace’s lips with her own. 

Grace could not believe what was happening. It was her wildest dream come true. Dani was kissing her. She cupped Dani’s cheek, her fingers gently pulling Dani in closer. Grace’s first kiss was soft, strong, and bewildering. It was with the woman she had loved since the very beginning. Something began to burn inside Grace. Her heart was racing. What was this feeling? It was not something Grace had ever felt. She knew all the feelings too: anger, fear, despair, love, lust. No, this was something different. This was a promise of something. This kiss was a gift to Grace. It heralded in the possibilities of the future. A future with Dani. 

This was hope.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Keep your pants on, folks. I've got more chapters coming. Keep watching :D Thanks for reading. You are why I do this. Peace and love.


	2. The Lionhearted

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "The bravest are surely those who have the clearest vision of what is before them, glory and danger alike, and yet notwithstanding, go out to meet it."
> 
> -Thucydides

Their moment turned into a rude awakening when the doctor and a nurse walked into the room suddenly. Dani tore herself away from Grace quickly and straightened the front of her uniform. She knew her face was probably flushed, her eyes red from crying. It did not matter. Commander Ramos held herself straight and tough. She was always composed, even if she looked like she was about to fall apart. 

The doctor and the nurse went straight for Grace’s chart, without even looking up. Dani cleared her throat to announce her presence in the room. 

“Oh, Commander. Hello. You are just the person we wanted to talk to.” The doctor began. He looked up from the clip board and made eye contact with Grace. “And how are you feeling? It’s good that you’re awake.” Grace told him that she was in a lot of pain, but she could handle it. The doctor nodded, telling the nurse to check the dressing over the wound. 

“Commander, a word?” The doctor motioned for Dani to step outside the room. 

“Yes. Of course.” And with that, the two disappeared out the door. 

The doctor told Dani that Grace was extremely lucky to be alive. However, she would be out of commission for a few weeks at least. He went on to say that knowing Grace Harper, she would try and circumvent his orders to get back to the front lines. Dani nodded, knowing the absolute truth of this statement. Dani offered the doctor some reassurance in the form of ordering Grace to light duty around headquarters. 

“I can find things for her to do. There’s always paperwork. I think she’ll be ok here.” Dani was elated to get to spend some more time with Grace before she was off and running again. She had hoped Grace might see it that way too. They came to terms and went back into Grace’s room. The nurse was just finishing up a clean dressing. 

“Looks good, doc.” The nurse smiled down at Grace and removed the soiled bandages from the room. 

“So, Grace... The Commander and I have come up with a plan for your recovery.” The doctor began. 

It was about a week before Grace was even allowed out of bed for longer than a trip to the bathroom. They had finally stopped the IV fluids, she was back on solid foods, and she was dying to get out of that room. A nurse brought Grace some clean clothes and heavy socks. They were just uniform pants and a tshirt. It was exactly what Grace wore every single day. She was thankful for even a slight return to normalcy. The doctor stepped into the room after she was finished changing. 

“How are you doing, Harper? The clothes okay?” He asked, putting her chart under one arm. 

“Yeah, thanks. I feel good. Where do I go now?” She figured they’d just send her back to the barracks for the remainder of the day, just to get her out of the way for now. Instead, the doctor informed her that Commander Ramos wanted to see her immediately after her release. 

“Report to her office, Seargent.” Grace could not have been happier with the order. 

She made her way down the first of three long hallways. Dani’s office was on the other side of the complex. Grace got lost at one point and had to ask for directions. She could not decide if all the sudden walking was making her tired, or it was something else she was feeling. She was not in pain at this point. She was mostly just feeling impatient. She wanted to see Dani badly. The commander had not been to see her since the day they informed her of her light duty orders. That was six days ago. Six days had passed since Dani Ramos had kissed her. 

Grace finally made it to the office. The door was shut. She did not even know if Dani was inside. It really wasn’t like her to stay put for very long. Grace took a deep breath, her anticipation growing more intense by the second. She reached out and knocked tentatively on the door. She listened. 

“Enter!” It was Dani’s authoritative voice, alright. Grace’s heart leapt up into her chest. She opened the door and stepped in. 

“Hello, Grace.” Dani stood from her desk and met Grace halfway across the room. 

All Grace wanted to do was hold Dani and kiss her again. She did not want to be presumptuous and assume Dani wanted the same thing. Moments of stress and weakness made people do dumb things, Grace realized. She had learned that in a high school equivalency course in general psychology. Dani did not like losing people to the machines. She had made that very clear from the beginning. That is what made Dani a superior strategist. Grace admired that about the woman standing in front of her. Despite her small stature, Dani Ramos had the heart of a lion. 

Dani looked up at Grace and just shook her head. The kid she had rescued years ago had been taller than she was then. This woman, 15 years older now, was a tower. She had put at least ten inches on herself since that time. Dani admired Grace’s physique. She was uncommonly thin, but well-muscled. There was very little fat on her body. Dani wanted nothing more than to just touch her. She looked down at Grace’s feet, noting that she was not wearing shoes at all, save the heavy hospital socks. 

“Um, where are your boots, soldier?” Dani asked, still staring down. Grace stifled a laugh and just shook her head. 

“Your guess is as good as mine, Da-...Commander.” Dani looked back up at her from under her eyelids. Grace noted that look did a great deal for her. It was a smartass look. But it was also very sultry and seductive, Grace thought. 

Dani took a step closer to Grace, looking right up into her eyes. “I told you. Dani.” She realized that if Grace had any kind of boot on right now, she’d be a foot taller than herself. It just kind of boggled her mind. 

Grace wanted to close the space between them. She loved being near her. Dani was stunning. She was so soft and curvy. Those were things that Grace had learned she loved about women. Dani had moved close enough that if Grace put an arm out, she could just about wrap it around her and pull her in. Out of respect for the older woman, Grace did not move. 

“I have some work for you, Grace. You need to stay busy, but you can’t be out running with your unit yet.” Dani returned to her desk and pulled out a yellow file from the top drawer. “This is important. This is a plan concerning how to take the old town in the Southern District. Legion has been all over it lately. There are reports of survivors near there, a cache of weapons, and maybe other supplies. This file needs to go to Lt. Jameson. Do you know where his office is?” 

Grace shook her head. This was her first experience at headquarters. Dani returned to her desk and drew up simple directions for Grace to follow. “On your way there, stop at the Quartermaster’s office and get some boots. If you want, come back when you’re done and we’ll go eat.” She smiled up at Grace and held the note out to her. Grace never broke eye contact with Dani. She smiled right back at her and reached out, purposely grazing Dani’s fingers with hers as she took her orders. 

Dani felt her whole body begin to tingle as she watched Grace leave. She realized that this feeling inside her was not going to go away quietly. She wanted to get Grace back on her feet though. Her well-being was important to Dani. Grace was important. Dani ran her tongue across her bottom lip, thinking back on kissing the blonde. A sudden sensation hit her right below her belt, and the only thing Dani Ramos wanted was Grace. 

As Grace moved down the hallway, she kept glancing at the little map Dani had drawn for her. In the corner of the map were some numbers. 1403. 2130. She did not know what it meant. Maybe it was a leftover scribble from some other meeting. She was so happy to have seen Dani even for just a few minutes. Grazing Dani's fingers like that made her so happy that she began childishly sliding down the tile floor in her socks. It felt like the most fun she had ever had. This new feeling was something Grace wanted to explore. She wanted to embrace it. Grace was feeling brave.


	3. 1403. 2130.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Every person has a story that will break your heart.  
> And if you're paying attention, many people...  
> have a story that will bring you to your knees.  
> Nobody rides for free."  
> -Brene Brown

On her way to Lt. Jameson’s office, Grace managed to find the Quartermaster. She stopped in, and they sized her for new boots. She hated new boots. She wished she had her old ones. They were comfortable and broken in. Grace did not like getting blisters, especially when her unit was known for hiking all day. These new boots were different though. They weren’t the old military style combat boots that they issued before Judgement Day. These were better, actually. They felt like heavy canvas. The quartermaster told her it was actually a cousin to kevlar. It was a light material. It was supposedly a hybrid of kevlar and some reverse engineering of Legion tech. It made them incredibly durable. Given this world’s rough terrain, they would be perfect. Grace really could not be bothered right now to bitch about new boots. She’d wear flip flops if it meant she got to see Dani later again today. 

She walked down the next hallway at a steady clip. She was looking for Lt. Jameson’s office in Logistics. She had been reading the signs on the walls along the way, everything kind of directing her where to go. She passed the officers’ quarters, the mess hall, and the barracks where she would be staying. Logistics was on the opposite end of the underground complex. The office itself was little more than a broom closet. 

Grace knocked on the semi-open door and waited for permission to enter. A deep male voice granted her entry. Lt. Jameson was standing behind a table. He did not have a desk. Strewn across the table was a map of what Grace presumed to be the entire District. This looked like the war rooms Grace had worked in before, when her captain briefed everyone before missions. Lt. Jameson was every bit as tall as she was. His crew-cut hair was gray and his glasses slid down to the end of his long, thin nose. “Seargent Harper?” She nodded to him, took a step forward, and handed him the yellow file. Jameson cocked his head back to study Grace behind the lenses of his thick glasses. One lens had a large crack running all the way through it. She tried to imagine how his life had brought him to this moment in time. No one had it easy. No one rides for free, Grace thought. As quickly as Grace entered the room, Lt. Jameson dismissed her just as fast. She nodded to the superior officer, turned on her heel and left the room. 

She backtracked, using her little map, still wondering what the numbers at the bottom meant. She passed by the barracks again, the mess hall, the officers’ quarters, and finally down the long hall back to Dani’s office. She stood outside the door, listening. She could hear humming coming from within the room. Dani was humming. Grace smiled and quietly listened, though she did not recognize the song. Dani had the voice of an angel, Grace mused. She really did not want to disturb this moment, and she had come back pretty fast. Grace looked up at the hall clock. It was not even 1700 yet. 1700. Hmmm, Grace wondered. She peeked at her little map again. 1403. 2130. Could they be times? 3 minutes after 2 in the afternoon? Nine thirty at night? It did not make any more sense than it had before. At any rate, Grace decided to explore headquarters a little bit before dinner. 

On her way around the base, Grace ran into two other soldiers from her company. They stopped in the empty mess hall, and had an informal debriefing about the ambush. The two others told Grace who else had been killed. It was damn near everyone. Them, Grace, and their captain had been the only survivors. Out of 20 soldiers. The news was sobering to Grace. Just a few minutes before she had been on top of the world. And now, her heart was breaking again. Grace felt a sudden sharp pain in her chest. She was getting light headed. Her fellow troops helped her to sit down at a table and asked who to contact for help. They were taught to use the chain of command. Instead of taking her right to the med bay, they needed to contact Dani. 

“Get Commander Ramos.” Grace panted. “Please”. Her breaths were coming in short. She felt something between a panic attack and actual chest pain. She put her head down and tried to just breathe as one of her fellow soldiers ran off toward Dani’s office. 

Momentarily, Dani and the soldier appeared around a corner. 

“Grace!” Dani ran right up to her, sliding on her knees a few inches across the floor. Grace looked at her, still a little tremulous from the attack. “We need to get you to the med bay.” Dani grabbed her by the hand and hauled them both to a standing position. Grace was starting to feel less anxiety and calmer. 

“Commander, I’m sorry. I think I’m ok. I did not mean to scare you.” Grace looked down, but not at Dani. She looked down at her feet. “I think it was shock. I ran into David and Alex here, and they told me about our company. I think I just panicked.” 

“Grace. We need to get you checked out.” Dani was The Commander at this moment. That strength and no-nonsense force behind her voice. Grace just nodded and allowed Dani to lead the way. Alex and David were quietly dismissed, Dani throwing them both a glare. It was as if she said “How could you do that?” 

The doctor cleared Grace after taking all her vitals. He could not detect anything wrong, but suggested that Grace be excused from further duty that day. Dani complied with the idea and told Grace she would walk her back to the barracks. 

On their way down the first long hall, Dani stopped Grace. They were standing in an intersection between the hall down to the officers’ quarters and the quartermaster in the other direction. The overhead light was buzzing and blinking slightly. Electricity in the future could not be completely trusted. Everything ran on generators. There was no grid to speak of. Grace was just thankful for the lights when they had them. Dani reached out and took Grace by the hand. “Are you ok?” She asked, her voice low and soft. This was no longer the commander. 

“Yeah, I'm fine, Dani. I’m sorry about that. It was just shock.” Grace replied, gently squeezing Dani’s hand. She actually began to feel her pulse pick up just from this slight physical contact. 

"Ok. You need to rest. And you need food. I’ll have someone bring something to you. I just want you to go lay down for a while.” Dani had a bit of a mothering instinct. Grace did not really care for it. She was not a child anymore. 

“Okay. But, while I have you here,” Grace pulled out the homemade map. “What do these numbers mean?” 

Dani grinned at Grace, staring up into those vibrant pools of blue. “You haven’t figured that out yet, Sherlock?” 

“Who’s Sherlock?” Grace was thoroughly confused. Dani laughed out loud. 

“He was a detective. From books, before the war. I could tell you what they mean, or I could let you figure it out. Your choice.” Dani was feeling pretty full of herself right now. She knew she had Grace on the hook. 

Grace stared at the numbers. “If I guess, will you tell me?” 

“Sure.” 

Grace pointed on the map to the numbers. “Are they military times?” 

“One is. Go rest, Grace.” Dani let go of her hand, completely pleased with how she was playing this game. She only hoped that Grace would continue to play as well. 

Grace watched her go, smiling to herself. That tiny little swagger in Dani’s step. How her hips swayed with each footfall. The way she stopped to look back, motioning for Grace to get to the barracks. Grace adored everything about that woman. 

Laying in her bunk later, Grace pondered the numbers. Which one was a time? What was the other one? 1403 could not be a time. It was too specific. 2130 though, that was possible. That was usually when everyone knocked off for the night. Lights out. So, what would 1403 be? Grace wondered. She ate her dinner alone, and fell asleep for a while. It would come to her. She knew it. 

Dani went home after work, poured herself a drink and made some rations for dinner. She sat on her ratty old couch with a book she’d found during a raid. It was a paperback copy of “All Creatures Great and Small” by James Herriot. She loved the stories of the traveling veterinarian. The descriptions of English countryside made her heart yearn for her home before the war. Herriot’s stories were so touching, she often found herself weeping. Tonight, it was no different. The story about James having to go see the old man to put down his old dog just ripped at her heart. That poor old dog just wouldn’t eat anymore, and he couldn’t get up out of his little floor bed. The old man had been friends with that dog all its life. The old man did not have anyone else in the world, save his one old friend. Dani finally had to put the book down. She quickly drifted off to sleep. 

Grace woke up with a shot. She stood up out of her bunk and put her boots on. What time was it? She had to know. She went out of the barracks and down toward the mess hall. The clock read 2122. She had minutes only. She could not run, but her legs were long and would carry her swiftly. But she needed to get there now. She turned and headed back down in the direction of Lt. Jameson’s office. 1403. She knew where it was. 

Officer’s quarters. The sign on the wall was a dead giveaway. Rooms 1400-1410. That meant, 1403 must belong to Dani. Grace was so excited she could barely even breathe. If she was wrong, it could be a case of just getting lost. No harm no foul. But this could be an invitation from Dani. Judging by how they parted company earlier, Grace was 99% sure it was. 

Grace stalked silently to the room bearing 1403 in silver paint. There was a dim light coming from under the door. Grace breathed in, held it, and knocked quietly. A second passed, and another. Silence. Grace pulled her fist back to knock again, a little louder. Just then, the door opened. 

Dani Ramos smiled at her from sleepy eyes. “I knew you’d figure it out.” She put her hand over Grace’s closed fist, pulled her inside, and shut the door.


	4. A Gentle Reminder

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I come to you with strange fire,  
> I make an offering of love,  
> the incense of my soul is burned by the fire in my blood.  
> I come with a softer answer to the questions that lie in your path. i  
> want to harbor you from the anger,  
> find a refuge from the wrath."
> 
> -Indigo Girls

Once inside, Grace was struck by how small the room was. It was not something she had pictured for the Commander of the Resistance. There was a small bed against the far wall, a little bedside table, a kitchenette, an old worn-out couch, and a small shelf holding ridiculously tattered books. There was a small oil lamp burning on the bedside table. It was the only source of illumination in the room. 

Dani was wearing a black service t-shirt and a pair of shorts. Grace took the opportunity to look Dani over from head to toe. Her hair was out of the usual braids, crimped and wavy from being tied up all day. The dark brown locks fell across Dani’s shoulders and down to the middle of her back. She had been sleeping. Grace could see the sleepiness in her eyes. 

“So... I figured it out...” Grace really did not know where she was going with this. She had literally just hit the jackpot. Dani made a sweeping motion with her arm, directing Grace to sit. 

The old couch was nice and soft. It was much softer than the cots and bunks Grace was used to sleeping on. Being the commander did have some perks after all. Dani sat next to Grace, tucking one leg up under her, to reach Grace’s height. “Welcome to my place. I thought you’d like to see where I live,” Dani began. “It’s not much, but there’s four walls and a door.” Grace immediately knew what she was getting at. It was private. 

“Dani, I uh... I want to tell you something. And I don’t want you to think I’m weird or anything.” Grace was so nervous. She was right on the edge of being afraid of Dani all of a sudden. She held her hands tight against her knees, hoping Dani couldn’t see how white her knuckles were getting. 

“It’s ok, Grace. Tell me.” Dani’s voice had lost all of its authority. Grace loved the softer, quieter tones she took when they were alone together. Grace looked up and met Dani’s eyes. She was taken by the dark brown orbs, flecked with gold and red. Dani could melt her heart in an instant with those beautiful eyes. 

“Well... I just wanted you to know that when you kissed me? That was actually my first kiss ever.” 

Dani suddenly tightened up. She could not tell by the look on Grace’s face if she had disappointed her or not. Dani broke the eye contact and started to get up. “Grace, I’m sorry... I...” 

Grace reached out and touched Dani’s arm, a silent plea for her to stay. “No, Dani. Don’t be sorry. I really, really liked it. And I was wondering if maybe... you would like to do it again.” 

Dani sat back down and turned to face Grace this time. Grace looked terrified, and Dani only wanted her to feel safe. This room was Dani’s haven, and she thought maybe it could be Grace’s too. She reached for Grace, took her by the hand, and softly pulled the blonde toward her. “Yes, Grace. I would.” 

Grace turned and met Dani’s eyes again. That stare between them spoke a million times louder than all the words in the English or Spanish languages. Grace wanted to make the move this time, since Dani had done so in the hospital. Grace bit her bottom lip and pulled Dani into her. It wasn’t a rushed or rough pull. It was enough to tell Dani that she was wanted. Dani gave and let Grace enfold her in long, muscled arms. She slid her arms around Grace’s middle, extremely careful not to put any pressure on her chest. Dani was acutely aware of Grace’s injury, even if Grace was not. 

Grace’s breathing was even and deeper than normal. She moved in so slow, and Dani began to feel Grace’s hot breath on her mouth. Dani was locked into the sea of azure blue eyes. With less than an inch between them, Dani closed her eyes and felt Grace press tender, soft lips against hers. Grace slipped her tongue up against Dani’s mouth, gently asking for more. And Dani was not going to argue. She welcomed Grace with her own warm, wet tongue. The kiss deepened as Grace slid her hand up the back of Dani’s neck, losing her fingers in that thick auburn hair. A soft moan escaped from Dani as Grace ran her tongue along the older woman’s teeth and in deeper to find her tongue again. Dani began to pull away slowly, taking Grace’s bottom lip between her teeth, releasing when their lips separated. 

“Holy shit.” It was all Dani could manage to say. Grace’s eyes looked like they were on fire now. 

“Yeah. More?” Grace was out of breath. Her hand still on the back of Dani’s head, trying to pull her back in. 

“Yes.” Dani nodded and leaned in to explore Grace’s mouth, this time on her terms. She wanted to climb on top of Grace and lose herself completely in this woman. She had been waiting for Grace for 15 years. Now that she had her, Grace was injured and required a gentle touch. Dani did not wait for permission from Grace to probe her mouth. Dani just slipped her tongue between Grace’s lips, which caused the tall blonde to shift in her seat. Dani thought maybe she had made her uncomfortable, but Grace did not pull away. She ran her long fingers of her other hand down Dani’s back and slipped under the service t-shirt. The feel of Dani’s hot skin drove Grace over the edge, and she groaned loudly into Dani’s mouth. 

Dani pulled back this time. “Grace. We have to go slow. You’re hurt. Your body is not ready for more.” She pulled her arms away from Grace, trying to hold her at bay. Grace would have never forced Dani to do anything more. If Dani had asked, Grace would have left without questioning the commander. 

“It feels ready. Maybe not in my chest, but the rest of me is definitely ready. Dani looked down at Grace’s legs, which were beginning to tremble slightly. Grace could feel Dani’s eyes looking her over and it made her nervous. “I’m uh... you should know that...” 

Dani cut her off with another soft kiss. “I already know. I’ve always known.” And she slid her hand up one of Grace’s thighs. She ran her fingertips lightly across Grace’s growing bulge. 

“How?” Grace gasped when Dani touched her there. Her eyes rolled back in her head as Dani gave the growing length a soft squeeze. 

“Does it matter, Grace?” Dani’s fingers were on the buttons of Grace’s uniform pants. She pulled at the button, and reengaged Grace’s mouth again with her wet lips. “Can I?” Dani knew they had to be so careful right now, but she could not resist Grace. Dani had known about Grace being intersex since before Judgement Day, the night on the train, when they laid together for warmth. Nothing ever happened then. There was no time. 

Grace closed her eyes and for a second, she thought about letting Dani take her. There was nothing Grace wanted more than to feel Dani’s hand on her hardening shaft. Grace made the hardest decision of her life. “No. You’re right, Dani. I’m not ready yet. But I don’t want to be apart from you either.” Grace did not want to leave. She never wanted to leave Dani again. 

Dani stood. She looked Grace over and sighed. “Come with me, Grace.” She held her hand out for the young woman to take. Grace laced her fingers into Dani’s and let her pull her up from the couch. Dani led them both across the little room to the bed. “Lay with me tonight.” 

Grace began to object, but Dani shushed her with a gentle finger across her lips. “Just... lay with me.” Grace caught Dani in that strong lock again, her eyes melting every defense Grace had. She nodded. Dani laid down on the bed, on her back. Grace moved in close, laying on her good side. Dani shifted on to her side, facing Grace, and pulled her right on in, tight against her body. 

Dani reached down and began unbuttoning Grace’s pants. “Just stay still, Grace. I’ll be careful.” Grace never even opened her eyes. She simply whispered “yes” as Dani slipped a delicate hand down into Grace’s underwear. Grace let out a hard breath. She could not believe Dani was touching her. Grace felt her cock grow stiff almost immediately. Dani softly stroked Grace, every motion was slow, from base to tip. Dani’s breath grew shorter, as her own arousal was growing. She loved the way Grace felt in her hand. Grace began to push against Dani’s palm. Dani reached out with a steadying hand and placed it on Grace’s belly. “Slow. Easy, Grace. It’s not a race. I’ll do this all night if you like.” Hearing those words, Grace began to lose control. She felt the intense sensation build so fast inside her. Her cock throbbed in Dani’s warm hand. The brunette leaned in and kissed Grace, tickling Grace’s bottom lip with her tongue. And that was it for Grace. She started coming and could not stop. “Give in.” Dani whispered. Grace let her body buck and shudder as Dani stroked her through her orgasm. Only when Grace grew soft did Dani pull her hand away. She knew Grace’s pants were ruined, but they’d deal with that tomorrow. Dani took a moment to reposition Grace’s cock and button her pants back up. 

They laid together quietly for some time. Dani actually thought Grace had gone off to sleep. 

“This feels nice.” Grace whispered. She had never been held like this. Dani’s body felt so good. She was warm and soft, and soon Grace was relaxed, listening to Dani’s steady breathing. Dani had never been this close to someone before. Sure, she’d been physically close to others a couple of times, but she felt like Grace had a direct line to her very soul. Dani breathed deep, trying to make sense of it. She felt Grace’s hand slip carefully up under her shirt again, resting on her back. Wherever either of them had been all these years, they were both home now. 

\-------

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There will be more.


	5. A Simple Plan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Your absence has gone through me,  
> Like thread through a needle.  
> Everything I do is stitched with its color."
> 
> -William Stanley Merwin

The morning arrived too fast for either of them. They were curled up tightly in Dani’s bed, covering each other with body heat and arms and legs, and the thick wool blanket that was standard military issue. It was rough and scratchy, but it was warm. Dani’s alarm clock invaded their sleep at 430 am. 

Grace tried to ignore the shrill bells of the wind-up clock by burying her head between the pillow and Dani’s face. Dani reached out behind her with one arm and knocked the clock off to the floor. The bells clanged against the hard carpet floor, and it stopped ringing. The ticking continued somewhere from under the bed. Dani groaned and stretched, memories of the night before flooding her consciousness. The blonde Amazon warrior was still with her. She returned to her grasp on Grace, who was pretending she was asleep. 

“I gotta get up, Grace.” Dani whispered, planting a gentle kiss on Grace’s temple. 

“No way. The Resistance starts too damn early.” Grace’s warm, strong arms pulled Dani in close. Dani loved the way Grace felt, relaxed and sleepy. Dani felt a rush swell inside her, and was half tempted to initiate sex with the blonde. She resisted the impulse, trying to push herself away from Grace. 

“I seriously have to go. We can have coffee and a bite to eat, but then I have work.” Dani managed to sit up without Grace pulling her back down. Grace tried though. The last thing she wanted right now was to be awake and away from Dani. 

Dani swung her legs over the edge of the bed. Fuck, it was cold, she thought. She hated how cold the bunker was in the morning. Winter was going to suck. Dani got up and went to her bathroom. She re-lit the lamp so she could see what she was doing. 

Grace sat up finally, taking stock of where she had just spent the night. She could not recall a time when she had felt more content. She could not remember sleeping that good before. She sat on the edge of the bed and assessed her pain level. It did not seem too bad. Maybe she’d stop by the med bay and get some aspirin later. 

“Do you want me to go with you?” Grace was unwilling to give up time with Dani. And Dani could not really blame her. She would have skipped today altogether if she could have. But today was important and it called for her direct involvement. 

“No. That’s ok. You should take the day and rest. Once we get moving, I’ll walk you back to the barracks and you can crash again for a while. How does that sound?” Dani asked from the small bathroom a few feet away. 

“That sounds like you don’t want me around today.” 

Dani walked back into the room, tucking her t-shirt into a clean pair of uniform pants. “No, Grace. It’s not that. The stuff I have to work on today is classified. I hate pulling myself away from you.” Dani leaned down and rested her forehead against Grace’s. She cupped Grace’s face in her hands, gently caressing the skin of the younger woman’s cheeks. “If I had it my way, we’d never leave this room again,” she whispered. Dani’s words were for no one else but Grace. Their shared whispers were becoming like a secret language that only they understood. Grace tilted her head up and brushed Dani’s lips with her own. Dani pulled Grace’s face in closer, shifting her lips, and then again, causing Grace to open her mouth for more. Dani ended the kiss neatly before it could go any further. 

“Come on, Grace. Let’s have coffee.” Dani turned to the little kitchenette. She always made sure the small coffee maker was ready to go in the morning. There was nothing she hated more than having to mess with machines when she first woke up. She pushed the green button and the coffee maker started to complain, noisily pumping water through heating coils. Soon, Grace could smell grounds being turned into heaven. While the coffee brewed, Dani set herself to fix breakfast. It was going to be ration biscuits and powdered shit that was supposed to remind soldiers of eggs. It was not even close, but the guys in the food lab were really trying their best with what they had. Dani also had a bottle of vitamins and protein supplements from the lab. Being the commander definitely had its perks. 

Grace moved up behind Dani to snuggle her while she worked. Dani twisted around in Grace’s arms and handed her a dose of supplements. “Take these. I wish everyone could get them regularly.” 

Grace looked at the pills in her hand. “They gave me these in the hospital.” 

“They make you grow big and strong.” Dani replied, not really thinking about what she had just said, or who she said it to. Grace laughed out loud. Dani looked up at her, watching the joy spread across Grace’s face. It was not something she had seen in the woman. Ever. It was a sight to behold. It made Dani’s heart beat hard. It was so good to be with Grace. 

They sat on the couch and ate in silence. Grace hated the egg stuff, but choked it down anyway. She knew the importance of regular meals. After starving for the first couple of years after Judgement Day, she was not about to pass up the chance to eat, despite what it tasted like. 

Dani walked Grace back to the barracks. They were in public. It was the Commander and Seargent Harper now. As they parted, there was a marked hesitation and a locking of eyes. The look between them said what they could not, conveying private thoughts only known to them. Instead, they both settled for “Have a good day, Commander. I’ll see you later?” 

“Yes. I’ll come find you when we are finished.” 

Dani walked away, feeling her heart sink. It was a betrayal to Grace. She had only partially lied. Today’s work was classified. She had not informed Grace the day before that the plans for Logistics were to be carried out this morning. Dani was going on a mission to the Southern District. She knew, though, if she told Grace beforehand, Grace would have either tried to stop her. Or she would have tried to come with her. Grace was in no shape to fight yet. And Dani found arguing with her very unpleasant. She hoped to be back before dinner tonight. The Resistance choppers were fast. And the small town they were headed to was not really that far away. She would have to tell Grace at that point, but it was always better to ask forgiveness than permission. 

After a briefing on the mission, Dani stepped into her office and shut the door. Her armor was in a closet behind her desk. She put on the flak jacket, her gloves, and her helmet. She really liked going on missions. It was ten times better than being stuck behind her desk all day every day. Some of her subordinate officers would disagree, telling her that she was too important to risk on supply and recon runs. But she was beyond hearing that. In another life, she had heard it all before. In Dani’s mind, she was not above anyone else. The Resistance needed her to be active and lead by example. No one could tell her any different, try as they may. 

Her squad gathered in the large hallway, just behind the blast doors. The choppers could be heard outside. The low chuck-chuck-chuck-chuck of the blades spinning were telltale signs that it was time to move. There was an alarm signaling the opening of the blast door. The huge bay door raised up, and sunlight poured in from outside. It was cold. It was always cold. But Dani knew it would warm up at midday. Dressing for cold weather was not necessary. Her uniform and armor would suffice. They boarded the choppers and were lifted away and off into the sky, headed due south. 

Grace heard the alarm of the blast doors from the barracks. That thing was notoriously loud. It reminded her of being able to run with her unit whenever they needed her. The notion made her extremely restless. She had no idea what she was going to do with herself today, and she could not sleep anymore. Maybe she’d go find Alex and David. Maybe she’d skulk up and down the hall outside Dani’s office, just to get a glimpse of her today. 

It was right before dinner when the news came in. The Commander’s party had been pinned down in the old town. They were preparing to evacuate the survivors when a group of Rev-7s showed up. The Commander’s party had taken them all down, but the Choppers had to take off. It was getting dark. Night runs were banned and far too dangerous. The choppers had to return to base until first light. Grace got the news from her friends. Dani’s group was trapped tonight. The news was that part of her squad had been able to move some of the survivors to the east side of town, where no one had been living, while the other part held off the terminators. Dani was with the squad stuck in the east. They were hunkered down in an abandoned building. They had no food, little water, and it was getting cold. Starting a fire at night was basically just like signing your own death warrant. 

Grace was seething. She was so mad at Dani for having gone out. She was mad at herself for not being able to protect her. She was mad at the machines. She was mad at the whole fucking world. When David and Alex filled her in, Grace was so angry she pounded her fists on a mess hall table. The sound rang through the large room like a shockwave. The worst part was, Grace could not help Dani tonight. No one could. 

Grace went to Lt. Jameson’s office next. She needed to be on the rescue crew. There was no other way. He only asked Grace if she had been cleared by medical. She lied and said she’d been cleared the day before. Jameson knew it wasn’t true, but he knew good volunteers were sometimes hard to come by. He allowed Grace to stay in his office that night and help him prepare a new angle of approach, to get the commander and the refugees out safely. It was the longest, most sleepless night Grace could recall in recent memory. Her whole being ached knowing that Dani was out there, cold, hungry, and alone in her thoughts.

At dawn, Grace was armored up and ready to go. She checked her rifle several times while they waited for the helicopters to show up. This could not happen fast enough for her. The emergency medics checked over their supplies, making sure to bring plenty of mylar emergency blankets, rations, and water. The rescue team had everything they could carry. Grace wore her heavy field jacket over her armor and uniform today. It was cold and she hated being cold. Her body was not built for the apocalypse weather. 

The blast door came to life, and Grace led the charge to the choppers. They filed onto the transports and took off, heading southeast. It took them about an hour to get there. Grace’s feet were out of the chopper and on the ground before it even landed. Dani’s group had heard them approach and sent up a small signal flair from where they were hiding. The rescue team saw the orange sparks and headed that way on foot. Grace was the first to get there, of course. “Commander!” She called out. 

Dani would recognize that voice anywhere. Grace had come to get her. She was overjoyed that they had arrived so soon. She was absolutely freezing. At the same time, Dani felt like a teenager who just got caught sneaking out of the house. Dani walked out of the old building, several survivors following her. Grace ran up to her and hugged her. She did not care what anyone thought. Dani hugged her back, despite her rank and status. 

“Jesus, Dani. You’re freezing!” Grace immediately took off her overcoat and put it around Dani’s arms. Dani’s eyes nearly rolled back in her head, and she had to stifle a moan. The heat from Grace’s body was in that field jacket. That was the best thing she had ever felt in her life. Dani gave Grace a very appreciative look. Grace nodded and ushered her toward the helicopter. Medics passed out emergency blankets to the other soldiers and survivors. Rations could be had on board the other choppers. 

“Thank you, Grace. Let’s get the fuck out of here, ok?” Dani pulled the coat tightly around her shoulders and led the entire group back to the transports. Grace looked around, always watching for the machines. They were sneaky bastards. She thought, fuck this, fuck that, and fuck you, Legion. That’s enough for one day.


	6. The Love We Made

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Every true and deep love is a sacrifice."
> 
> -Carl Jung

Once they were back at headquarters and safely behind the two-foot thick blast doors, the crew began to file into the mess hall. This was usually where everyone met up after missions. The limited space in the bunker meant that the mess hall was a debriefing room, a meeting hall, and extra sleeping quarters when necessary. 

The med crew began checking over the survivors and soldiers in triage fashion. Luckily, no one had been seriously injured on this trip. There were a couple of sick kids and an older adult who was severely malnourished. Dani had taken off Grace’s overcoat, holding it in her arms. She was dirty from action. Her face was covered in dirt and sweat, maybe a little blood. Grace sat with the other rescue crew members, watching Dani like a hawk. Dani was talking to one of the doctors and the quartermaster. Grace heard her say that everyone needed clean clothes, a check-up, and a meal before she could form a plan to transfer them to safer lodgings. 

Grace was pissed off, but relieved that Dani was safe again. She took off her black helmet and cradled it under her arm. She never took her eyes off Dani, until the commander left the room to go work on transfers with Lt. Jameson. Grace knew following Dani was not going to happen. The last thing they needed were rumors. There was a saying in the Resistance: boots and suits don’t mix. That just meant that non-coms and officers kept themselves separated for the most part. Enlisted soldiers had a tight camaraderie. They liked to think of themselves as the meanest and toughest when it came to battle. They believed that the suits, or officers, could take the easy way and call all the shots from inside the safety of headquarters. That mantra did not really apply to Dani, though. She was always ready to jump into the fray and get dirty with everyone else. In any case, Grace and Dani did not need the hassle. Grace decided to make herself useful and help survivors get a meal. 

Dani closed the door behind her in Lt. Jameson’s office. “Why did you let her go? She had not been cleared by medical to go on any missions.” Dani inquired, fully frustrated by her second in command. 

“Do you really think I could have stopped her? She would have found a way to go anyway. You should have seen her last night, Commander. The girl was a mess knowing you were stuck out there.” 

Dani did not want to argue. She knew how stubborn Grace was. She just nodded and the pair continued to work out the details of moving 23 people to permanent quarters. She really just wanted to go see Grace. As the commander of the Resistance, though, she had priorities and obligations to her fellow humans. Work always came first. She would catch up with Grace as soon as she could. 

The day passed smoothly, but time seemed to move backwards for Grace. Every time she looked at the clock, very little time had actually passed. It was maddening. She tried to settle herself with the promise that Dani would come and find her later. It did not make her work go any faster though. The survivors had eaten. They had been organized into family groups. Most of them were not related, unless they had children. One child, about 12 years old, had been orphaned. Grace really sympathized with the little boy. When the organizations were taking place, no one really wanted to claim him. They had all pitched in to take care of him, but he was still detached. Finally, at Grace’s behest, an older couple volunteered to take the boy in when they settled. It was the least Grace could do for him. She remembered what it felt to be free-floating through groups with no ties to anyone. It was lonely. It was scary. Grace sat with him until dinner time. She taught him how to thumb wrestle, and how to field strip her rifle. 

After dinner, Grace found herself free-floating through the bunker. She was not tired. She only had Dani on her mind. She had not seen the commander since their arrival this morning. Grace tried to trust Dani’s process. She made her way back to the barracks and laid down in her bunk. Other soldiers were doing the same thing. Extra beds were given out to survivors. They were beginning to file in to take showers. Grace just stared up at the bunk above her, counting the springs in the mattress again. At some point, Grace closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep. 

She woke up later to a gentle hand on her arm. Grace sat up in the darkness, finding Dani crouched beside her. “There you are,” Grace whispered, rubbing her eyes. “What time is it?” 

Dani held Grace by the wrist and pulled Grace out of her bunk. “It’s late.” Dani replied in that low voice. Grace did not need to be told where Dani was pulling her. She knew where they were going. 1403. 

The walk to Dani’s room took forever. Dani led Grace through the halls, not looking back at her. Grace walked just a few steps behind Dani, anxious to get to their destination. She was ready to tear into Dani about going on the mission and putting herself at risk. As soon as they were safe behind Dani’s door, Grace lost her resolve. She stood with her back against the door. She watched Dani pace back and forth, trying to find a good way to explain herself. Dani was expecting to get chewed out, but Grace did not say anything. She just watched Dani with that protective gaze of hers. She really just wanted to know that Dani was ok. Clearly, the commander was unsettled. Grace knew she could help with that. She took the two steps forward to Dani. She just opened her arms for Dani to step into. And she did. Dani was happy to have Grace near her again. She wrapped her arms around Grace’s midsection and rested her head on the taller woman’s shoulder. Grace enveloped Dani in her strong arms, taking care to hold her softly. There was no more anger. No judgement. Only relief now. 

“Grace?” Dani whispered against Grace’s neck. Her hot breath woke up every single one of Grace’s senses. Grace was beginning to notice that her body responded to even the slightest touch from Dani. 

“Hmmm?” Grace hummed softly. Dani felt the vibration of sound emanate from Grace’s chest. Dani felt the burning beginning in her core. She brushed her lips against the skin of Grace’s neck, up to her jaw. 

Dani whispered into Grace’s ear, “will you make love to me?” 

Grace looked down at the gorgeous woman in her arms. God, how she loved Dani Ramos. She would do anything for her. In that moment, Grace realized, she would die for Dani. She held eye contact with Dani, noting how her eyes darkened with desire and need. “I would love to.” She whispered, capturing Dani’s lips with hers. Grace was nervous all over again. She had no idea what she was doing. She decided it was time to figure it out. They had all night. They had the rest of their lives. 

Grace walked Dani backward to the bed. They fell together, Grace careful not to hurt Dani in any way. Grace let herself rest on top of Dani. Their bodies came together perfectly in every place. It was as if they were made for each other. Grace leaned in and continued kissing Dani. She wanted to go slow. Yes, it was her first time, but she just wanted this to mean something. Because Dani meant everything. 

Grace kissed Dani’s mouth, her cheeks, her forehead, before making her way to Dani’s ear. She made her way down the older woman’s neck, placing soft kisses and love bites to the smooth skin. Dani gasped, running her hands through Grace’s hair. Grace’s fingers slipped under Dani’s shirt, tugging it up along her ribs. Dani took the cue and pulled the shirt off over her head. Grace leaned back to take in the site of Dani’s naked upper body. She was so perfect. Grace let her eyes trace every curve, every scar, over Dani’s belly, up to her breasts. Grace cupped a breast in her hand, squeezing softly. She rolled the nipple with her thumb, causing Dani to moan. She felt hands in her hair, pushing her lower. Grace dipped her head and took the nipple in her mouth, gently sucking and massaging it with her soft tongue. She switched to the other breast, paying it the same attention. 

Dani reached down and started to tug Grace’s shirt off of her. Grace sat up and pulled the cotton t-shirt off and away. Dani was stunned by the sight of the blonde. Grace took a second to let Dani look at her. Turnabout is fair play, she thought. Dani marveled at Grace’s body. She was cut and defined all over. It was almost like Grace had been sculpted from marble. Her pale skin showed every scar. Her small breasts were perfect. Grace leaned back down when Dani looked up into her eyes. Dani beckoned her back silently. Grace laid back down on top of Dani. The heat of their skin elicited a sigh and a groan from both of them. Dani felt the stirrings of desire between her legs. Grace’s cock began to harden. 

Grace could not get enough of Dani’s skin. The taste of her salt, the softness that met each of her kisses was overpowering her senses. She wanted to taste Dani lower. She had always wanted to do that. Grace began kissing and licking her way down Dani’s front. She started to undo the uniform trousers. Grace looked up to Dani, seeking her permission. Dani just nodded; her brown eyes dark with hunger. She wanted this just as much as Grace did. Grace made quick work of the pants, flinging them casually off the bed. She pulled Dani’s panties down and sent them to the same fate on the floor. Grace was captivated by Dani’s completely naked body. She felt her own body respond. Her pulse quickened. Her sex throbbed painfully. Dani willingly opened her legs wide for Grace. 

The first taste of the commander was unexpectedly delightful. Grace had not known what she would taste like. It was wonderful, musky and a little tangy. Grace could not get enough. She ran the flat of her tongue up and down Dani’s slit, taking her time to explore her lover. Grace’s mouth was met with wetness. She was in heaven. She moaned in unison with Dani, who was clearly enjoying what Grace was doing. Grace reached up for Dani’s hands, tangling their fingers together. Their closeness was being amplified by their physical desire for each other. Grace would never do this to anyone else. Dani’s years-long wait was over. 

Grace brought Dani to a slow boil. She flattened her tongue and ran it all over Dani’s clit. The sensations sent Dani through the roof. She began to feel her climax coming soon. She whispered to Grace to keep going in that spot. Grace obliged, as Dani came in her mouth. A wave of unmitigated pleasure washed over her, and she was drowning in Grace's affection and longing. Dani rocked her hips against Grace’s jaw. Grace tightened her hold on Dani’s hands, silently saying “I’ve got you.” They rode out the momentum of Dani’s orgasm until the brunette stopped quaking. Grace moved up to lay back down on her. She leaned in and kissed her, allowing her to taste herself on Grace’s mouth. Dani moaned at the mixture of herself and Grace’s lips. She could kiss Grace all day long like this. 

Grace had other plans though. Her rock- hard dick was suffocating in her pants. She kneeled between Dani’s legs and unbuttoned them. She stood up momentarily to pull her pants and briefs off. Her cock stood up proudly. Dani was in awe of how big Grace actually was. She wanted Grace inside of her. “Come here,” she whispered to Grace. The blonde laid back down on top of Dani, nudging her thighs apart with her hips. Dani felt Grace’s member slide against her clit. Grace took a few slow strokes, letting Dani get to know the feel and size of her. Grace put her hand on Dani’s jaw, locked eyes with her, and silently asked if she was ready. “Take me, Grace,” was her answer. Grace positioned her cock head at Dani’s wet opening and pushed. The feeling of Dani’s tight entrance was almost too much. Grace closed her eyes and bit back a moan. This was too good, she thought. She’s so fucking tight. Grace kept eye contact with Dani, watching to see if she was doing ok. Grace did not want to hurt her in any way. Dani was very keen on taking all of Grace. She rolled her hips up, signaling to Grace to push deeper. Soon, Grace’s large cock was buried inside Dani completely. They stayed connected like that for a few moments. It felt so good. Dani had never felt so full before. Grace was touching her in all the right spots. Grace began to throb inside of Dani. She was not sure how long she could last. And with that, Grace began to move, slowly and tenderly, stroking Dani from within. They kissed, exploring each other with lips and tongues as they moved together. The feeling was pure heaven for both of them, as Grace pumped her hips slowly against Dani’s. She did not take long or hard strokes. They were content for soft intercourse this time. Grace slipped a hand between them and found Dani’s clit with two fingers. She rubbed in slow circles, still kissing the brunette. Dani moaned into Grace’s kiss. She could feel a second orgasm rising up inside her. She bucked her hips and pressed hard against everywhere Grace was. She could not get close enough. Grace felt like she did not know where she ended and Dani began. They were perfection together. Grace could feel Dani was getting close. She moved her hips a little faster, and applied more pressure with her fingers. Soon, Dani was coming again. Her walls clenched and tightened around Grace’s cock. Grace responded to the tightness. Her whole body felt like it was on fire. She was so close. A few more gentle pumps and she would let go. Grace groaned loudly as her climax washed over her. She came and emptied everything she had into Dani. She gave her everything in that moment. Dani had her seed, her body, her heart and her soul. Dani was taking it all. Dani wrapped her legs around Grace’s hips, her arms around Grace’s neck, holding her close. She pressed her face against Grace’s cheek, and whispered in her ear, “I’m in love with you, Grace.” Grace breathed hard and responded “You are the love of my life, Daniella Ramos.” 

They laid together, still tethered to each other. Neither of them wanted to break the perfect contact. They kissed and whispered loving secrets to each other. They made love throughout the night, neither of them completely sated. They could not get enough of each other, and they did not have to wonder anymore.


	7. A Darker Fate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "And every once in a while I'd sing a song for you  
> That would rise above the mountains  
> and the stars and the sea  
> And if I wanted it to  
> it would lead you back to me"
> 
> -First Aid Kit

It was five days later, and Grace was in the med bay getting a check-up. She had healed quickly, despite being stabbed all the way through her chest. Grace was lucky. Her vital signs all appeared normal. She had put on a couple of pounds since being on light duty. She noted to the doctor that she felt pretty good. She believed she was ready for her next assignment. The doctor signed the paperwork, clearing Grace for active duty. 

Grace had been so excited for this day. She would be reassigned to a new unit and be able to go on missions again. That was her purpose for the last few years. She was contributing to the community. She was part of something bigger than herself. She never liked sitting around in one place for very long, and active duty assignments suited her well. She couldn’t wait to tell Dani. 

As Grace flew down the halls toward Dani’s office, all of the wind was taken out of her sails. She stopped dead in her tracks down by the quartermaster’s office. Fuck, she thought. How could she be so naïve? Being cleared for duty meant she would no longer be assigned to headquarters. She would no longer be close to Dani. Grace felt her heart sink down into her boots. The double-edged sword of truth may as well have run Grace right through and killed her absolutely. 

Grace felt her chest tighten. She tried hard to block the uprising of emotion that was beginning to take over. She could not let herself feel this. There had to be a way around this. Grace felt panic creep in. She could not breathe. She leaned back against the wall and tried to remember how to ground herself. Grace had been prone to panic attacks when she was a kid. Her childhood therapist had taught her how to feel her feet connected to the ground, how to breathe deeply, and how to still herself. She needed to feel the physical world around her. She trained her mind on the cold, hard wall against her back, her hands on her hips, her boots on the ground. Eventually, Grace settled herself down enough to move on. Three different people had stopped to see if she needed help. She just breathed deeply, not breaking her grounding rhythm, and waved them on by. 

Maybe she could get a medical discharge for the panic attacks. She had never told anyone how regularly they occurred. If her unit captain had known about the attacks, she would have been benched from fighting most certainly. Grace swallowed the idea down, dismissing it entirely. Medical discharges were only for real problems, like getting your leg blown off by a land mine. Panic attacks, in Grace’s opinion, were something to just be worked through. She’d had plenty of them, and she knew how to adjust in the field. She could not bring herself to take the easy way out. 

Grace walked slowly down toward the barracks. She did not think she could face Dani right now. She needed some time to think. Time was something she did not have right now. As soon as her paperwork went through, Grace would be reassigned. The Resistance needed all hands on deck. Grace knew this. 

She made it to her bunk and noticed a book sitting on her standard issue pillow. She leaned down and picked it up. It was a torn up, old copy of “Sherlock Holmes and the Red Demon”. Dani must have left it for her. Grace sat on the edge of her bunk and thumbed through the delicate paperback. Inside what was left of the cover, there was something written in Dani’s scrawl. Through tears, Grace could barely make out what it said. 

“My love, 

I will always leave you clues to find me. 

D” 

Grace felt a sob roll from her chest. She put the book on her bed, and held her head in her hands. She had not cried like this in a long time. Since her mother died, she remembered. Grace was feeling a lot of the same things right now. It felt like someone she loved with all her heart was being taken from her. Grace felt alone. She quietly wept for longer than she had meant to. She cried until all of her tears were gone. When she looked up, several other soldiers and survivors were sitting near her in other bunks. No one stared at her. Crying was part of life in the apocalypse. Grace felt the urge to run. She did not want to be seen right now. She grabbed her jacket and knit cap from her foot locker under her bed. She rose up to her feet and stalked out of the barracks. 

Grace wandered as far away from the center of headquarters as she could, without going outside. She would not have been able to go out without alerting everyone on base that the blast doors were opening. She walked down to the food lab, past logistics. Grace mindlessly walked, just trying to put more distance between herself and the truth. She found herself in the sanitation department. This is where the generators were kept. Grace was deep in the bowels of the bunker. It was noisy. The rumble of diesel engines was deafening. It was perfect for Grace. She finally found a place where she couldn’t hear herself think. There was no one around that she could see. She found a spot behind Gen 1 and sat between it and the wall. She brought her knees up to her chest, and dropped her forehead down. The rattle and hum of the engines soothed Grace in her hour of need. Grace made a note of the irony of the situation. She was in desperate need of human compassion, and the only thing that was there to help her was a fucking machine. 

Dani checked her wristwatch. It was almost dinner time. Grace was supposed to have stopped by her office to tell her what the doctor had said. Dani was pretty sure she was going to be cleared. Grace was healthy as a horse. However, she had not been by yet. Dani wondered what was keeping her. Knowing Grace, she found someone to talk to or was helping out somewhere along the way. Dani liked how helpful Grace was to others. She was generous. Dani loved that attribute. 

Commander Ramos continued to work through her mountain of paperwork. She went over files for rations distribution, headquarters population counts, number of units in the field, casualties, strategic victories/losses. Finally, she looked at a pile of transfers. She raked through it to find the one she did not want to look at. At the bottom was a plain file marked “Harper, Grace”. Dani flipped it open and read the history within it. She already knew where Grace had been, what unit she had served with, who her commanding officer had been, and so forth. New to the file was the transfer order waiting on Commander Ramos’s signature. The orders were cut and ready, as soon as the medical discharge paperwork crossed her desk. The orders were for the Southern District. There was to be a new base established there, where the survivors had been evacuated days before. The location had good strategic value. The town was tucked back against a high hill. The position was defensible. There was a large creek running through it. Water sources were always valuable. The commander’s squad had also located the cache of weapons, and those needed to be secured soon. 

Dani stopped reading and flipped the file closed. She knew this would be a great assignment for Grace. She knew that Grace was probably dancing a jig to get out and do something besides run Dani’s errands. Dani stared blankly across the room. Her mind wandered to her last private moments with Grace. It was a few minutes they stole together in a darkened corridor, kissing and touching, whispering and begging each other for more. Dani’s heart began to pound in her chest. She yearned for Grace in every available space of her day. If Dani was not fully consumed with work, her thoughts were on the beautiful blonde. And time was running out. Where the hell was Grace, anyway? 

Dani cut out early, hoping to find Grace in the mess hall. But Grace was nowhere to be seen. No one had actually laid eyes on Grace since earlier in the morning. Her check-up had been just after noon. Dani caught one of the duty nurses in line for dinner, asking if Grace made it to the med bay today. The nurse said she had come and been cleared for active duty. Confusion began to set in. Dani picked at her food, not really concerned with eating. She watched as people filtered into the mess hall, hoping to see the shock of blonde hair, a head above almost everyone else. But no. 

Dani walked down to the barracks. The book she left for Grace was on the bunk, but not on her pillow where Dani had left it. Grace had been here. Dani checked the showers. She checked with Logistics. She looked in to see the quartermaster. She tried her own room. Grace was nowhere. Dani closed the door to her room and sat down on her couch. She closed her eyes and tried to imagine where she would go if she was Grace. Nothing made sense. She did not think Grace would run away. She did not believe that Grace would avoid her. Dani knew the truth though. Grace’s medical clearance meant that she’d be leaving soon. It was not something Dani particularly wanted; not when they were just starting together. But Dani also knew that life had to continue. And anyway, the assignment was only temporary. Dani could always cut new orders for Grace and keep her close after this. If only Grace were here to tell. 

The generators never ran all at once. The four big engines ran two at a time, alternating in a sequence. It was two on, two off, two on, two off. There was usually someone down here checking them every hour. Grace probably would not get in trouble for being back here, even if it was not perfectly safe. Grace had just needed to hide for a while. She started to come around a little more. She pulled her cap down over her ears and debated getting up and going back up to the main floor. Grace liked the solitude down here. She did not feel so exposed down here. But she missed Dani, and she was getting hungry. Dinner was over though. She might have had something stashed away in her foot locker. Today felt like a total loss. 

Grace pushed herself up the wall and to her feet. She straightened her uniform and took a deep breath. It was time to go find Dani. Time to face the truth. 

Dani was not in her office. The door was locked and there was no light coming from under the door. The mess hall was deserted except for the cleanup crew. It was only 1900 hours. Dani usually worked until at least 2100. Grace wandered down past the barracks, to the officers’ quarters. She lightened her footfalls to near silence as she approached 1403. She could see lamp light from inside. Dani was home. Grace stopped and steeled herself. She reached out and knocked softly. 

“Come in.” Dani’s voice from the other side of the door was subdued. Grace let herself inside, closing the heavy metal door behind her. Dani was on the couch with her feet up, reading. She laid her book across her chest and looked up at Grace. The tall blonde pulled her cap off, revealing that signature blonde hair. She glanced at Dani, then around the room, and at her feet. 

“Come here.” Dani’s voice was barely above a whisper. She sat up on one end of the couch. Grace shucked off her jacket and hung it on the hook by the door, along with her cap. She took her boots off and left them by the door. She sat on the other end of the couch, not sure what she should do or say next. Dani reached out and took Grace’s arm, pulling her nearer. Grace laid down, resting her head in Dani’s lap. The older woman cradled Grace’s head in her arms. Dani hummed gently, some foreign tune that Grace did not know. This was something that was uniquely Dani, and Grace loved it about her. Grace closed her eyes and let Dani run easy fingers through her hair, the other hand tenderly gripping under Grace’s chin. Grace tucked one hand under Dani’s thigh. Her other hand grasped Dani’s knee. They shared silence and a mutual understanding of the coming rift. 

“When?” Grace asked. Her throat was dry and her voice was hoarse. Dani kept stroking her fingers through her hair. 

“I can put it off for a couple more days.”


	8. Heart of the House

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Quiet now  
> Will we gather to conjure the rain down?  
> Will we now  
> Build a civilization below ground?  
> And I'll be crowned  
> The community kicked it around"
> 
> -The Decemberists

Daniella Ramos grew up in the southern sun. Mexico City was her home. She mostly spoke Spanish, unless she was at work. The car factory brought workers from both sides of the border, and that was how she learned most of her English. She had learned some in school, but it was a really stiff version. It was not conversational English. It was a lot like the Spanish taught in schools in the United States. It was really impractical. As Dani learned English, she practically forced her brother, Diego, to practice with her. They learned together. Even Dani’s father had managed to pick up enough to hold a conversation. Dani spoke Spanglish fluently. Half of her thoughts would be in English, but she always thought in Spanish and found herself slipping. Eventually it just became her natural language. Most people understood what she was saying anyway. It was not until the early days of the Resistance that Dani realized she would have to speak English. Most of the survivors spoke it, and the movement would need a binding language. 

Dani grew up in a household of men. Her mother passed away when Dani was little. She did not remember much about her. Dani’s father kept photos and mementos of her mother around the house, but Dani had a hard time forming an emotional attachment to them. Instead, Dani focused on taking care of her brother and father. Without her, she knew, they would live like pigs. No respectable Ramos would live that way if she had a say in it. Caring for men created a burden on young Dani. She did not often get the chance to go out with friends or enjoy a normal teenage lifestyle. She grew up responsible, without really knowing what she was missing. She was busy learning to cook, clean, remember appointments, and hold the family unit together. She was the heart of the house. She had been taught early that women were the caretakers of the family. Maybe that was why she had such a strong influence over Judgement Day survivors. Hers was not an attitude of “my way or the highway”. It was a feeling of shared hardship. She was not a dictator. She was a leader. Just like she led her father and brother though life, she began to lead strangers to a new life. 

Of course, Dani did not see it that way for many years. When the militias were numerous enough to form a single army, that was when Dani realized who she was. Dani had been the administrator of all the training camps at first. She delegated authority to other officers. People just followed her. It felt like the natural flow of things. She respected every member of the human race, despite their differences. She always believed those differences made people great. Dani and a handful of men and women had orchestrated the entire Resistance. It eventually ran itself when she became the Commander. It was a well-oiled machine by then. At that point, Dani was no longer stuck only on the front lines of battle or only behind a desk. The Resistance had just worked out somehow, and it afforded her the ability to choose her duties. Dani never believed in ever being in only one role. She knew if she was to earn the respect of the soldiers, she would have to lead them on the field. She knew if she was to keep the respect of the officers, she would have to show them she was an expert in the war room. 

Dani got tired of being the Commander sometimes. She caught herself daydreaming of running away from it all. She wondered how she might fare on her own once Legion was on the defensive. However, that became a moot point, as Dani grew older. She had never run away. There was never time. Just like at home, she had responsibilities and obligations. Deep down inside, she felt a loss. Personal freedom and childish irresponsibility were languages Dani was never fluent in. 

She often thought of her father and brother. She was sorry for how they both died. They both died because of her. Because of who she eventually became. Her importance to the future of humanity had cost her everything. 

It had also cost her Grace. 

She’d only met the woman a few days before the standoff on the dam. Her memories of Grace then seemed like something from a lifetime ago. She recalled how the augmented soldier showed up and Dani’s entire life flipped upside down. Her fear was paralyzing, and she had no forward momentum, except that Grace literally held her hand, every step of the way. Grace had been the one to pull her through. Grace had sacrificed everything, Dani realized. And she did it all twice. 

It was not until their first night together when Grace was injured that Dani realized how much Grace had given up to return to the past. Dani had not known the depth of their relationship at the time. She only knew that she saved Grace as a kid. The complexities of time travel were too much to think about. So far, in this timeline, time travel had not been invented. She just hoped maybe something changed that, and she’d never have to make such a desperate choice to send Grace to certain death again. Now, however, given the level of trust forming between herself and Grace, Dani began to understand why she sent Grace, above all others, back to protect her. Grace would have known her... loved her. Fuck fate, Dani thought. This time had to be different. 

Sending Grace to the Southern District was hard on Dani. She could not show favoritism though. Sharing her heart and her bed with Grace was risky enough. Dani knew that she had to enforce the orders for Grace to return to the field. Strength flowed from the top down. If she got lazy, or made it personal, it would only serve to weaken the Resistance as a whole. The pain in her heart would remain a private issue. Battle-hardened Dani came in handy when soft, sappy Dani was falling apart. 

Alone, in her quarters, she and Grace had shared what little time they had remaining. Grace’s assignment was only expected to last a few weeks. But even hours away from each other felt like years. Weeks seemed eternal. They had made love often behind the closed door of Dani’s room. They laid together and talked about things they remembered. They built imaginary futures together. They teased each other and laughed together. On that last day, they cried together. Dani hated sending her away, but she told Grace that the beauty and greatness of the bond they shared was everything the Resistance was fighting for. In that moment, Grace said she felt proud to go, so that future generations could have a chance to experience it also. They both understood it all at once. What they had together was the very essence of what it meant to be human.


	9. Soldier On

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Hi ho lock and load  
> The engines are runnin'  
> we're ready to go  
> to kill the enemy  
> Take control  
> So early in the morning"
> 
> -Army Cadence

Grace’s new unit loaded up into the Scorpion at dawn. As the sun began to rise up over the horizon to the east, they were en route to the south. Grace had grown up knowing how to navigate without a map. She knew to keep the sun on her left shoulder when traveling. She knew how to count how many hours of daylight she had left to find shelter and food before dark. Grace knew the stars well enough to determine times of night and seasons. Orion and Gemini showed up in the winter. Summer belonged to Draco and Hercules. The moon told her other things like what week it was. Grace always prayed for clear skies and good weather. In the army, Grace had the benefit of maps and compasses. Her senses were sharp outside. If she ever got separated from her unit, she’d know how to get back home. 

Her pack was heavy, full of useful items. She had cold weather gear, a bed roll, extra socks, underwear, and t-shirts, a notebook, the Sherlock Holmes novel, her entrenching tool, a raincoat, a first aid kit, the standard issue water filtration kit, among other things that they required soldiers to carry. Grace had to admit, it felt pretty good to be moving. She had stripped and cleaned her rifle before she left, she had a full magazine of depleted uranium shells locked and loaded. She had surplus ammo in her pack and in her cargo pockets. 

Once they touched down at the old town, Grace’s squad established a perimeter. There were five of them. Grace was the squad leader since she was the non-com. They spent the late morning checking for threats, clearing obstacles, and setting up trip lines and claymores. Grace was not an explosives expert, but she knew enough to point the convex side toward the enemy. After all, instructions were printed right on it. It was idiot proof. Her squad was on first shift, keeping a vigil for the rest of the unit while they worked. Grace sat on top of the hill, scanning the landscape with her field glasses. Everything was clear for the moment. She pulled her little notebook out of one of her cargo pockets, along with a pencil. The lead on the pencil had busted off, so Grace sharpened it with her pocket knife. Then she began sketching the orchard of long-dead trees to her left. Grace liked to draw. She remembered doing it a lot as a kid. She liked drawing animals, but they were so few and far between anymore. She often wondered if Legion knew the difference between people and animals, or if organic lifeforms were all the same to the machines. Grace sat in silence, continuing to watch the area and quickly map out ash colored branches on paper. 

Their rotations lasted 5 hours a piece. Grace spent her evenings digging shit holes and fire pits at first. She helped count the weapons found, loading them in bunches according to type and size, onto the choppers for transport back to HQ. Grace ate her meals with her squad. They seemed like decent people, but she really could not bring herself to form anymore emotional attachments. They bunked together in an old barn just outside of the town. Grace swore she could still smell the horses inside it. Her unit commander told her it was her imagination. Everything just smelled like ash and death now. 

At night, in the barn, Grace’s unit stretched out on standard issue bed rolls. They were no better than yoga mats that were all the rage when Grace was little. Her mother had a pink one. Grace would lay in her sleeping bag at night, wishing for just a little light so she could write a letter to Dani. Running lights at a completely exposed site was not a good idea. Legion could pick up high heat and light signatures over a hundred miles away. Their cover in the barn was enough that their body heat went undetected. 

Grace was grateful for the work. It kept her mind occupied most of the days. Night time was difficult for her. Her thoughts returned to Dani almost as soon as the fires were put out at dusk. At least she could pack it in for the day and pretend to sleep. She had been angry with Dani at first over this decision. She could not tear herself away from the woman. After the first couple of days in the field, Grace got her stride back, and realized she was just being selfish. Grace knew she had an immature streak when things did not go her way. Dani had been right, of course. What they had together was what this future war was all about. Dani was usually right about things. That’s why she was in charge, Grace decided. 

Grace was strong and confident as a soldier. She was patient for labor. She liked to work. Doing things that served a purpose was all Grace really ever liked doing. She never grew up with hobbies, other than sketching during guard duty. Grace did not know what it meant to have fun and relax. They had no recreational activities per se. Grace grew up working her ass off, getting shot at, stabbed, and always wanting something she could not identify. There was something inside Grace that would not be satisfied. It felt like it was something from before Judgement Day, but she could never quite put a finger on it. Whatever it was, it left a big hole inside of her. It made her quiet and bad with words. It had been her lifelong companion until she reunited with Dani last week. The love she shared with Dani filled that void inside her. It was almost like a piece of Grace’s heart had been missing all her life. Dani Ramos was that piece. Now, here in the wasteland, a hundred miles away from Dani, Grace felt that empty ache again every night as she tried to sleep.


	10. Future War

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “The war to end all wars” they said  
> And were naively believed  
> By those who now are honorably dead  
> Never knowing they were deceived
> 
> Wars are peddled with promised glory  
> With patriotic fervor, wars are sold  
> To those who die in warring gory  
> Without their right of growing old
> 
> For future generations, I’ve great concern  
> They needn’t set their world ablaze  
> For their survival they must discern  
> The peaceful road to better days."
> 
> -Stanley Cooper

Along with the watchful eyes on the perimeter, Grace’s unit had set up a multidirectional radar tower. This alleviated the pressure of always watching the skies. For the first two weeks, there was no sign of Legion. 

Grace laid on her bed roll one night, feeling pretty good about the entire mission. They had found the weapons and sent them back to headquarters, new survivors were coming by all the time now, and no one had died. That was always the important thing. Grace finally begin to feel like everything was starting to settle down. It genuinely felt like humans had the upper hand again. 

And that’s when it all went to shit. The Revs were coming in droves. The radar crew sounded the alarm close to midnight. Blips on the screen turned into a green blob. They were everywhere. Grace and the rest of the unit mustered in less than a minute. It was not hard when they were wired to be always ready. Everyone took defensive positions and prepared for an inevitable slaughter. The ground shook as the sound of marching metal feet reverberated through the air. They were coming. 

Grace gripped her rifle. Sweat rolled off her forehead and into her eyes. She blinked back the stinging sensation and tried to focus. Her adrenaline pumped and her hands were shaking. The entire unit dispersed throughout the compound, everyone in position. They silently waited and watched as the Revs came into the camp. Grace heard the first shots ring out, followed by screaming. It sounded like the kid. More shots. More screaming. And it was just getting closer. Grace watched the sky light up with the exploding claymores, grenades, and flares. She could make out the nightmarish outlines of robots sent to kill. She took aim and waited for one to get close enough. The rifles had a decent velocity and they were accurate at great distances, but shells were not plentiful. Every shot had to count. 

Grace was never big on praying. God had died during the first year of the war. She knew that it was only herself and the machines. The machines were God now. Grace ducked down behind a line of sandbags. There were two other soldiers with her. She looked at them both and told them to just hold their positions. Grace could see the terror in their eyes. Their bodies trembled as they held their weapons, afraid to move or be seen. Grace peeked over the sandbags, checking the surroundings. There were a handful of Revs heading straight for them. Grace motioned for the two other soldiers to follow her. She crouched and ran back in the direction of the barn. She turned to look for only a second and the soldiers were gone. Gunshots had ceased. The Revs were … retreating? What the fuck was going on? Screams. That’s what she could hear. The screams of soldiers being captured. 

That was new. The Revs never took prisoners. Grace ran to where her unit captain held his position. He was still there. His eyes met hers. He had the same baffled look on his face that Grace did. 

“What the fuck, Cap?” Grace ducked down beside him, watching the horde of Revs retreat into the darkness. The radar guy cried. 

“Report!” The captain commanded. The radar soldier shook his head in disbelief. 

“They’re... leaving.” 

Grace shook her head. “What did they come here for?” 

The captain laid his rifle down against a sandbag. He took his helmet off and steadied his breathing. “Us. They came for us.” 

“What the fuck does that mean, Cap? They’re always coming for us.” Grace spat on the ground, furious and confused. She never even got a shot off before the Revs receded into the dark. It was over before it even began. 

“I heard, about a month ago, Legion was experimenting with a new form of infiltration. Instead of turning machines into inanimate objects like med kits or ammo boxes... which just explode on sight... they’re making new soldiers that go undetected. They’re designed to mimic humans.” 

Grace could not believe what she was hearing. “Legion is turning us into machines.” She said it more to herself than the captain. The absolute horror of that truth shook Grace to her core. 

“That’s what it looks like.” 

“Cap, we gotta get back. The Commander is going to want to know this.” 

“Yeah. We’ll leave at first light. Find the others. Tell them. Dismissed, Seargeant.” 

Grace made her way through the compound, trying to round up other soldiers. She found four live men and a dead woman. Everyone else was gone. Taken. The woman had shot herself before the Revs could capture her, one man said. This was a total clusterfuck, Grace realized. She could not wait to get out of here. Legion was getting desperate, and its evil knew no bounds. 

Twenty-five of them had gone out three weeks ago. Six of them were going back home. They waited for the sun to rise, huddled together in the barn. No one slept. No one spoke. They just waited together, bonded by the common thread of dread. 

Commander Ramos had a meeting in two hours with some visiting officers from up north. She hated early morning meetings, but they had some news that might turn the tide against Legion. It could not wait. The commander was excited to get any kind of upper hand on the machines. At the same time, she was frightened by what the news could mean. So far, in this timeline, augmentation had not been mentioned even once. Nor had time travel. Ever the realist, Commander Ramos waited for the inevitable. 

The meeting began right on schedule. Four commanding officers met in her office. Dani’s assistant had brought in some folding chairs to accommodate everyone. She sat behind her desk, a dark feeling of trepidation falling over her like rain. They talked about how the effort was going everywhere. There was news of a huge Resistance victory in Washington DC. Fighters there had taken out an entire Rev manufacturing facility. That, according to incoming intelligence, was one of four main facilities that punched out Revs like Toyotas off an assembly line. 

Dani missed her job at the factory. Dani missed a lot of things. 

The visiting officers drank scotch with Dani. It was the one nice thing she had to offer in this fucked up world. A supply raid in the early days turned up two cases of Johnny Walker Blue. Dani remembered that it was pretty expensive stuff. She could never afford it back in the day. Now, she kept a bottle in her desk for meetings like this. 

The officers laid out the plan on her desk. It was a design for augmenting human soldiers. She had seen it coming a mile away. The plan was brutal. It was invasive and painful. But if the soldier lived through the process, the plan was brilliant. Augmentation would turn one soldier into ten. Dani choked back her fear and loathing. It was really, honestly a smart design. Subdermal mesh to protect vital organs, a classified material to increase bone density. There was a plan for a heads-up display, implanted behind the soldier’s eyes. A thorium microreactor to run it all. Wires. Hundreds of wires to connect it all together. The soldier’s blood would be turned into something more like transmission fluid. Dani felt her stomach begin to turn. The scotch in her belly set her mind alight with barbaric images of what had been done to Grace so many years ago. 

There was a loud knock at Dani’s door. She granted entry and her assistant appeared with a piece of paper. “This just came in for you, Commander.” Dani looked over the memo. The unit in the southern district had been attacked by multiple machines. Soldiers had been captured. Legion’s infiltration process was underway. The unit suffered heavy losses, and they were on their way back. Heavy losses. Grace. 

Dani informed the other officers about the memo. This was big. This would essentially decide whether or not the Resistance would start the Augmentation trials. Dani’s heart sank. This was not what she wanted. She did not relish the idea of carving up human beings and stuffing them full of Legion’s machine parts. It was exactly what they were trying to avoid. However, the Resistance needed every leg up they could get over the machines. Dani understood that sometimes, you had to fight fire with fire. 

After the meeting, Dani sat in her office just waiting for Grace’s unit to return. She laid her head on her desk, trying to wrap her mind around what had just transpired. The war had taken a dark turn. Conventional methods had failed. This war of attrition was just not working. For every victory humanity had, Legion always seemed to have another angle. Dani’s mind turned back to Grace’s unit. Heavy losses. Soldiers captured. Dani could only hope to God that Grace came back to her. A feeling of panic began to consume her. She tried not to imagine what the machines were doing to human beings. If augmentation was being considered, Dani knew that there would be a human touch to it. Doctors would do their best to allay the pain and not prolong the process. Machines were not human, though. Dani imagined flesh being torn away without anesthetics. She imagined screaming soldiers being ripped apart, stuffed with gears and wires. She had to stop herself. It was too much.


	11. Desperate Times

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "You're not numb to my hand on your cheek,  
> you don't want me to leave.  
> I'm right here if the strength of my presence  
> is all that you need."
> 
> -Wendy Bucklew

An hour later, Dani heard the alarm. The blast doors were opening. She ran from her office to the mess hall, waiting impatiently for the unit to file in. There was only a handful of soldiers, and two survivors. The temperature of the room dropped a few degrees with the somber attitude. Dani watched Grace come in last, always heading up the rear. Grace always made sure everyone got in before she did. 

Dani watched Grace search the room. Their eyes met and Dani felt all the fear in her body melt away. Grace did not look injured. She was just dirty. Grace’s eyes lit up at the sight of Dani standing in the mess hall. Her heart beat faster, she almost smiled at the commander. 

It was standard procedure for the commander to meet with incoming units to debrief. The medics took stock of everyone present. All bodies were intact. The unit captain began telling the story, from the day they touched down in the Southern District to the moment they lifted off. Dani sat at a table, listening, nodding, making mental notes of everything. The unit had done some good work, establishing radar and communications. The weapons they delivered would prove useful in future missions. The news about the capture of most of the soldiers was not good. It meant that Legion was growing increasingly desperate and would stop at nothing. 

Once everyone was accounted for and the debriefing was done, everyone dispersed. The unit captain helped the survivors get oriented. Three other solders made off for the barracks and showers. Dani motioned for Grace to follow her. Grace did not need to be told twice. 

Once inside Dani’s office, the commander shut and locked the door. Grace turned to her and took off her coat. Dani grabbed Grace by the bullet-proof vest and pulled her close. Their lips smashed into each other. Their hands were everywhere on each other. 

Dani fumbled with the velcro straps on Grace’s vest. She wanted it off... now. Grace stripped the vest off and let it fall to the floor. Dani reached up to Grace’s face and tried wiping away some of the dirt, to no avail. They stared into each other's eyes. Tears welled up in Dani’s. Grace’s eyes were haunted by what she had experienced. Grace pushed Dani against the wall, kissing her deeply. Dani held the back of Grace’s neck, never wanting to let her go again. “Fuck me,” Dani whispered. 

There was an urgency to their movements. Dani unbuttoned Grace’s trousers and reached inside. Grace moaned softly as Dani wrapped her hand around the already hard shaft. Grace undid Dani’s pants and pushed them down, along with her underwear, to her knees. Grace raised her leg up, put her boot between Dani’s knees and pushed her pants to the floor. Dani kicked off her shoes, and the pants. Grace grabbed Dani by the backs of her thighs and lifted. Dani wrapped her legs around Grace’s hips. Grace reached up, licked her palm, stroked the wetness over her length, and thrusted deep inside Dani, not waiting for foreplay or permission from her lover. The speed at which Dani’s body responded told Grace that the brunette wanted her to continue. There was an unspoken need that surpassed words. Dani cried out, biting down into Grace’s shoulder. She held Grace close to her. Dani’s walls clenched tight around Grace’s cock as she desperately fucked herself in and out of the older woman. This was not gentle. This was not something that would go away if they could tear themselves apart. This was primal. It was instinctual. It needed to happen. They were claiming each other, belonging to one another. They were grounding each other in the physical world. Dani continued biting Grace’s neck, running her tongue back up to the blonde’s lips. Grace’s mouth was hot and wet, and Dani was willing and drove her tongue deep behind Grace’s lips. She was hungry for the blonde. She had missed Grace terribly. She ground her hips down onto Grace’s cock with every hard thrust Grace provided. She was going to come. Grace gripped Dani’s thighs hard enough to leave bruises. Dani scratched her nails up and down Grace’s back, through her shirt. Dani moaned loudly as her climax began. Grace silently fucked her even harder, driving her cock home, bringing on her own release. Grace’s cock throbbed as she emptied her seed inside the woman she loved. This was what it was about. This was the need to connect and give Dani everything all over again. Dani felt so close to Grace, understanding her yearning as well as Dani’s own. 

The two women clung to one another, they shuddered and bucked and groaned. They were breathless. They were embarrassed. As each shockwave of pleasure lessened in intensity, Grace kissed Dani softer and slower. Now there was time to say hello in her way. Grace could not believe she had done that. She had been rough and demanding. Grace could not have stopped even if she wanted to. 

Dani had never taken her hand off the back of the blonde’s neck. She used the grip as an anchor. She pulled Grace close, allowing the blonde to bury her face in Dani’s shoulder. Dani felt the sob tear from Grace’s throat. She just held the woman tightly. Grace still held Dani against the wall, still inside of her. Dani’s legs were still tight around Grace, pulling her in close. Grace cried quietly as Dani ran soothing fingertips up and down her back. They breathed together until they finally came down. 

“Welcome home, my love.” Dani whispered. Grace pulled back to look into Dani’s dark brown eyes. Grace could see the tenderness and warmth there. Grace’s heart was so full of love, she thought it might explode. Dani reached up to wipe the tears away, smudging the dirt. She was just making a bigger mess. She smiled at Grace. Her soldier was home. Dani felt so lucky to have this woman. Grace instinctively knew every need, every desire; and she never hesitated when Dani asked something of her. She felt so protected, safe with Grace, even when the sex was so rough. God, how she loved her! 

Grace let Dani down gently. The women redressed, taking care to make it look like they had not just come undone in the commander’s office. At this point, Grace did not really care what others might think. Dani was not vulnerable in front of others. Dani did not need others like she needed Grace. This was something they had together. It was private and exclusive. “Dani, I’m sorry.” Grace looked humbled. 

“Why?” Dani pulled up her pants and buttoned them. She pulled on her shoes next. 

“I did not want to be so rough with you. I was scared and we’d been apart for so long.” Grace stared down at the floor, shifting one foot back and forth. Dani approached her, stepping right into Grace’s line of sight. Dani loved how deep blue Grace’s eyes were. 

“I wanted it. I will always want you. Do you understand me, amour? This was necessary. It was a release that we both needed. This situation was horrifying to everyone. We’re lucky we have each other to do this with. We are safe together.” Dani cupped Grace’s cheek, caressing her dirty skin. 

Grace felt the surge of emotion come back up again. Tears. Always the tears. “I just love you so much. I thought I was a goner yesterday. There were so many Revs. The screams. They just took people away.” Grace’s entire body trembled as she recalled the event. Dani stood still, reverent. Seldom did the blonde recount her stories. Dani just wanted her to express her feelings properly. “I can’t imagine what the machines are doing to them. They just won’t fucking stop, Dani.” 

Dani slipped her arms around Grace and pressed herself flush against her. “No, they won’t. But we’re finding ways to combat this.” Dani knew she would have to tell Grace about augmentation eventually. She wondered just how much about the past she would have to clue Grace in on. It was not fair to leave her in the dark. Dani just did not want Grace to volunteer. Not now, not ever. 

“How?” Grace whispered. She sounded like she was beginning to lose hope. Dani pulled away and stepped back. 

“Grace, we need to talk.”


	12. Pandora's Box

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Accept the things to which fate binds you,   
> and love the people with whom fate brings you together,   
> but do so with all your heart."
> 
> -Marcus Aurelius

Dani decided to quit working for the afternoon, shortly after lunch. Grace had gone to get something to eat and then take a shower. They agreed to meet up around 1500 hours at Dani’s room. Dani went home and changed out of her uniform. She needed comfort. She opted for black sweats and a hoodie. She took off her bra pretended it was a slingshot, sending it flying against the wall. She smiled. Sometimes she could amuse herself. She picked up her clothes off the floor and tidied up the room. She did not think Grace would really care how clean the room was, but it was just in Dani’s nature to keep things neat. 

Dani had an hour before Grace was supposed to show up. She wondered if she was making the right decision by telling Grace the truth of her past/future. For all Dani knew, the timeline had already been changed when Grace saved her in Mexico City. Unfortunately, the ugly specter of augmentation had reared its head. The strange thing was, she did not remember Grace telling her anything about human\terminator hybrids. That was new. Maybe Grace had not told her everything. Maybe it wasn’t as important. Maybe Grace did not know the first time. There were too many variables. Grace deserved to know, one way or another. 

Dani kicked back on the couch, and tried to concentrate on James Herriot. She hoped Grace had found time to read the Sherlock Holmes novel. She also wondered if Grace found the pressed flower in between the middle pages. Dani had found that flower growing on the side of the road during one of her first recon missions. She carried it so carefully in her jacket pocket, not wanting to damage it. It was one beautiful thing this fucked up war had not demolished. She kept it as a reminder that even the gentlest things can grow in a field of destruction. It reminded her to hope. That’s why she gave it to Grace. 

Winding down the long hallways, Grace made her way to Dani’s room. Along the way, Grace felt grateful that she got to do this again. The anticipation she felt when walking down to see Dani was always a good feeling. Grace had no idea what she wanted to talk about. She just said that right there in the office was not the place. She wanted them both to feel relaxed and safe. Whatever it was, Grace knew that it was important. 

Grace stopped in front of Dani’s door. She looked down at herself. She had found an old green t-shirt in the bottom of her footlocker. She had not worn it in years, since she donned the Resistance uniform. She still had on uniform pants, but they were comfortable at least. She had shined her boots after her shower. She actually ran a comb through her hair this time. She just wanted to look nice for Dani. It wasn’t much of an effort, but it was an effort. She inhaled deeply and knocked on the door. Dani granted entry from the other side. 

Grace stepped inside and smiled at Dani. Her teeth were exceptionally nice, considering dentistry was not that great nowadays. Dani loved her smile. She could not remember ever seeing Grace smile before the world ended. She was so focused on her mission. Dani noticed that Grace looked nice. She looked different than normal. She was not as scruffy looking. But Dani liked scruffy Grace. Dani stood up from the couch and moved to hug Grace. She loved Grace’s embrace. She loved resting her head on the tall woman’s chest, listening to the beat of her strong heart. Come to think of it, there was nothing Dani could think of that she did not love about Grace. 

Dani felt so good in Grace’s arms. Grace loved how small she was. It felt like Grace had a true purpose in protecting her, giving her a safe place to fall. Grace wrapped her arms around Dani, squeezing the woman lovingly. She buried her nose in Dani’s hair. She absolutely loved Dani’s scent and could not get enough of her. She adored this woman. 

Dani let go of Grace and stepped back. She went back to her seat on the couch. Grace sat down next to her and tried to pull Dani back into her body. Dani put a hand in the middle of Grace’s chest and shook her head. 

“What I have to say is important. We can’t be distracted from this.” The concern in Dani’s voice was alarming to Grace. She cocked her head to the side with a questioning look in her eyes. Dani leaned in and gave Grace a quick kiss. A promise for later. 

Grace settled back on the couch, facing Dani. She could tell Dani was having a hard time with this. The brunette looked into her lap at her hands. She was fidgeting. “Ok, Grace. What I’m about to tell you might not make any sense at first, but I promise you, I will find a way to make it come together.” 

“Ok. I’m ready.” Grace did her best to remain confident for Dani. When they faced troubles together like this, one of them was always strong if the other could not be. Tonight, Grace decided she would be Dani’s rock. 

“Before Judgement Day, I was just barely in my 20s, working at the car factory. One day, Diego and I were at work and my father showed up. But it was not my father. It was a Rev-9.” 

Grace was immediately confused. There were no Rev-9s. The highest number the Resistance knew about was 7. She decided to stay quiet and listen. Dani said it would come together. 

“And a soldier showed up from the future to protect me from it. Apparently, back then, the future of humanity was in danger of losing me. I would lead people through the end of the world to form the Resistance. I know it’s hard to grasp. But in that timeline, Legion designed... a time machine... for lack of a better term. They sent a Rev-9 back to that day in my life to kill me. In that timeline, I sent a human back in time to watch over me. That soldier was augmented. We developed a process to enhance human beings, using Legion’s technology. The augmentation gave soldiers superhuman abilities: strength, speed, sight, hearing. It was really amazing to watch that soldier fight against a terminator.” 

Grace sat still, nodding occasionally, silently signaling that she was understanding the story. 

Dani continued. “In this timeline, now, we have fought a fairly conventional war against the machines. There is no augmentation, no time machine. But the machines were not kidnapping people to tear them apart for use as infiltrators in the other time. The thing is, Grace, this morning I had a meeting with visiting officers. They have drawn up plans for the augmentation process. We were discussing the possibility of beginning the human trials, on a voluntary basis. During that meeting, I got the news about your unit. It pretty much made the decision for us.” Dani explained what she knew so far about the process. Grace did her best to contain the horror she felt. 

“Okay. So are you saying you don’t know how this timeline will play out?” Grace sounded more curious than anything. 

“That’s exactly it. I am afraid that with augmentation, time travel will not be far behind. In the last timeline, this all happened 7 years from now. So we’re ahead of everything. I don’t want to have to decide to send back anyone to look after me. It was hard enough the first time. I don’t want anyone sacrificing anything for me again. That soldier died in the fight with the Rev-9. If the soldier had lived, there was no way for her to come back to her own future.” 

Grace had heard it. Dani had referred to the soldier as “her”. Dani sent a woman back. “Who was the soldier, Dani?” Dani looked defeated. The information she was still holding onto was heavy. Grace could see the weight of it crushing her. 

“That soldier... was you.” 

Grace did not flinch at all. Dani watched her for signs of stress or anger or fear. This was the moment when everything in the world could change. “Why me?” 

“The other you told me you practically begged me to choose you. I did not want you to go. But on one particular mission, we were together on it, and I got hurt pretty badly. You were in charge of getting me into this bunker. Rev-7s ambushed us as we were landing. You got pretty fucked up in that fight. While I was out cold, you volunteered to become an augment.” 

“Jesus, why would I do that?” 

“Because your injuries were so severe that you would never fight again if you lived. With augmentation, you knew you at least had a chance to continue fighting for us. For me.” 

Grace quietly considered all this information. It was a lot to process. The augmentation process sounded worse than death. She could not understand how she would ever volunteer for it. “If what you’re saying is true, we are doing the exact same thing that the machines are. The only difference is that we’re going to use volunteers.” 

Dani had not considered this. It was true. She did not like the way Grace said it. It made Dani feel ashamed of humanity. She tried to remember thinking of fighting fire with fire. 

“Realistically, Grace, we are running out of time. We are running out of resources to fight the machines. If we don’t do something soon, we will lose this war. No one else knows this but us. I was going over the numbers the other day. We just don’t have enough of anything to last longer than another two years.” 

“But you said we could destroy Legion. Remember? In the beginning? You said we could do it. You’re the one who gave us all so much hope. We can stop them, Dani. We have to.” 

Dani remembered what she said the day she found young Grace in the ruins. The trouble was, it was easier said than done. Legion was smart. Legion adapted to every move the Resistance made. Dani could think her way out of a great many tight spots. But this was one spot she could not figure out. “I haven’t lost hope, Grace. I just don’t want to go this route... again.” 

Grace nodded. She understood everything. It must have destroyed Dani to lose her father, brother, and another version of her within just a few days. No wonder she did not want to do this. “Send someone else.” Grace’s solution sounded simple. Dani knew, though, that she did not trust anyone else to take care of her the way Grace had. Neither did Grace. “Come on, Dani. There has to be some other way. I don’t want to be an augment. I’d love to meet you in the past, the future, or outer space. I’d die for... you.” 

Another thing suddenly came together. It was as if the new timeline was beginning to form. Dani could not wrap her mind around this. Pandora’s box had been opened, and everything dangerous and damning was flying out. Augmentation, time travel, Grace’s devotion. Dani reached across and took Grace’s hand. “I know. That's part of the problem.” 

Grace couldn’t deny the truth of what she’d said. She did not actually mean to say it, but it was out now. Dani deserved to know the lengths she would go to for her. Grace would sacrifice everything for Dani, even her own life. Also, if keeping Dani alive to lead humanity into a better future was the goal, Grace would do anything to make sure that happened. 

“I have a question though.” Grace said, her voice low and serious. “You changed the timeline by sending me back. Everything is already different. Maybe this, right here and now, is our chance to figure out something different to destroy Legion. Maybe we’re thinking about it all wrong. We’ve been fighting a frontal assault on Legion this whole time. Using their own technology is a good idea, Dani. We just don’t have to turn people into machines to make it happen. We could use their technology against them. Let them make the infiltrators. We’ll find a way to detect them right away. Fucking refrigerator magnets or something! I don’t know. But we rewire them to go back to Legion and fuck shit up. There has to be another way.” 

Dani had to admit, it wasn’t the worst idea ever. Grace might have been onto something. Having a machine that could walk right in to Legion’s bases and destroy it would be a godsend. Magnets. Metal detectors. Dani knew where to get all of those things. They’d found a bunch of things on a supply run at an airport. Those security things. Dani was brainstorming. No, she thought. We need to disconnect their network. We need a virus. 

Dani leaned forward, took Grace’s face in her hands and kissed her. Her lips smacked loudly when she pulled away. “Grace, you’re a genius!” 

Grace’s eyes lit up. Whatever Dani had just thought of looked promising. She had not seen Dani smile like that all day. Suddenly Dani was excited. She stood up and paced back and forth. Grace watched her turning over ideas one after the next in her head. Dani was beautiful when she had a good idea. 

“What’s your idea, Dani?” 

“Come with me. We’ve got work to do.” They went back to the office and worked late into the night. Pandora’s box had been opened, and Hope was the last thing to come out.


	13. Rise Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “In order to rise from its own ashes, a Phoenix first must burn.”
> 
> ― Octavia Butler

The day all the power went out was something basically everyone remembered if they were old enough then. The EMP blasts were simultaneous. It was a carefully crafted strike on the entire world. At once, everything shut down. Cell phones went black. Cars stopped running mid-drive. Televisions stopped pouring out useless commercials and fake news. Every city went dark. Refrigeration failed. Food rotted and insulin went bad. There was no heat, no electricity, no air conditioning, no lights. And those were just the most immediate things people had to deal with. Water treatment facilities quit working. Sewers backed up. Dams burst under the strain of backed up rivers that were not being pumped out. Nuclear plants began to melt down without cooling systems. Legion effectively sent humanity back to the Dark Ages in one fell swoop. 

Humans were pretty resilient, though. Pockets of educated and resourceful survivors began to generate electricity by any means they could. Syphoning diesel from non-working pumps became a regular, full-time job in the first years. Small scale refineries began popping up like moonshine stills. Generators became the gold standard in providing lights and heat and hot water. Solar power became a better alternative once the skies had begun to clear. What remained of the human race was far from connecting a huge grid. Nothing was the same since Judgement Day. 

Things people took for granted before the war were grieved by so many people. Cell phones, the internet, clean water, and junk food were among the things missed the most. Humans learned to let go of everything that was not essential to survival. Those who once had boring desk jobs were now in charge of gathering firewood, or pilfering supplies from abandoned houses. Radiation levels were pretty high in a lot of places, so Geiger counters were popular with everyone. Growing food was next to impossible. The first few years, it was so cold. The bombs used against Legion plunged the world into a nuclear winter. The sun did not shine for two years. Plants perished; more people starved to death. Humanity’s prospects were looking pretty bleak. The Resistance was able to not only fight Legion head-on, but they were also responsible for most of the underground farming efforts. Generators powered grow lights, soil was gathered, and seeds were sewn. It was never enough to sustain everyone forever, but the farms provided necessary supplements to survivors. The food labs were set up, and engineers began to create nutritional substitutes that more people could rely on. The powdered egg shit was easy to make, but hard to swallow. No one really liked it. It had the consistency of boiled snot. But it was healthy, and it would fill the hole in your stomach. There were other things too. They managed to make a decent cherry flavored powder for drinks. They figured out coffee. The best thing was bread. If you did not ask how it was made, it was actually ok. 

Other things like security gates were forgotten in the dust of the old world. In the future, security came in the form of armed soldiers who shot first and asked questions later. The post 9/11 panic created a new market for security features for all public transportation venues. Airports especially were under a lot of pressure to make things appear safe for passengers. God forbid, huge corporations lose a dollar over a terrorist attack. Metal detectors were put in at every gate. Security guards with hand-held wands stood by, ready to wave the devices over each offending passenger. That’s when Dani had her idea. In the future, everyone was packing a firearm, so metal detectors might not be practical at the front gates. However, x-ray scanners could be. When the Resistance recovered useful Legion tech, it was always dead first. Getting a live one inside the bunker was a huge risk. It would send its location signal right back to Legion. There was no Legion headquarters that Dani knew of. As far as they could figure, Legion operated like a collective consciousness. Each machine was its own server on a vast network. They had to destroy the collective neural net. 

Grace proved to be a valuable asset during the night. She spent most of her time with Lt. Jameson down in logistics, working out how to obtain X-ray machines from airports and hospitals. She had been on so many raids since joining the Resistance, that she was confident in her ability to plan another one. Grace came back to Dani’s office to tell her the tentative plan they had for acquiring the equipment. Dani was really surprised how well the blonde had taken the news of her other self last night. She was sure that Grace would have flipped out a little bit, or at least been more curious about augmentation. However, Grace admitted that the idea turned her stomach. The timeline was certainly changing. Grace looked happy, but so tired that morning. She fell asleep in the oversized chair in Dani’s office for a few hours while Dani worked at her desk. She watched Grace sleep. She could still see the 12-year-old girl she had saved all those years ago in Grace’s features. It reminded her of why they were still fighting. There were other 12-year-old girls out there who deserved a future without deadly machines. Dani cut Seargent Harper’s new orders while she slept, assigning her indefinitely to Logistics. 

As the day dragged on, Dani set up meetings with all the high-ranking officers in the area. They needed people with computer experience from the old world. Dani would accept anyone from secretaries to the FBI’s most wanted hackers. She needed tech people together to work out some kind of plan to disable Legion. The machines got their start using human technology. There had to be some semblance of it left in that hive mind. Dani remembered what she said long ago: “Legion didn’t exist until WE created it. We CAN destroy it!” It was a promise she had made to herself that day. It was a promise she had made to Grace too. Commander Ramos ordered the communications to go out immediately. Any Resistance members with computer skills would be immediately reassigned to headquarters. Any survivors with the necessary skillset would be recruited. It could work. It had to. 

Grace woke up from the chair, and Dani was gone. She stretched her long legs out in front of her. She raised her arms up over her head and growled loudly as sleep was pulled out of all her muscles. She walked around to the front of Dani’s desk and saw her new orders sitting there, complete with Commander Ramos’ signature. Grace had to admit, for the first time since joining the fight, she was not unhappy to get benched. Next to her new orders, Grace saw an open notebook with a picture of a bird that Dani had sketched. It wasn’t half bad, Grace thought. Under the bird were the words “Project Phoenix”. She smiled to herself and walked down to the mess hall to see if there was any coffee left over from breakfast. 

Dani rounded the corner back to her office. Her face was buried in a list of people within headquarters who had different types of computer experience. The brick wall in front of her came out of nowhere. Dani ran face first into Grace’s chest. She was knocked back a few steps, but Grace’s quick reflexes allowed the blonde to reach out and catch her before she fell. Grace instinctively grabbed Dani’s arms and kept her on her feet. She looked down and smiled at the older woman as soon as she realized what had happened. Dani dropped her papers, and just looked at Grace in stunned silence. The grin on Grace’s face was kind and knowing. Dani inched forward, placing her hands on Grace’s chest, staring up into cerulean eyes, absolutely captivated. She stood on her tip toes, arching up to meet Grace’s lips. Dani was past caring about informal fraternization rules. There were no concrete laws preventing it. Grace’s boots mixed just fine with Dani’s suit, she thought. Grace pulled Dani in by her shoulders and kissed her so gently. The fire between them began to reignite, but it was not the time or place. Dani pulled back from Grace, however unwillingly, and promised her lover, more later. Grace bit her lip and smiled. Her love for Dani was unparalleled. Together, they went in search of coffee. 

The two women sat at a table in the mess hall, across from each other. Grace sipped lukewarm coffee from a chipped stoneware mug. Dani kept going over the list of names and their skills. She did not know how this would work. She did not have computer skills. She knew how to turn a computer on and print things, but that was about it. This was out of her wheelhouse. 

“Grace, do you know much about computers? From before?” She asked absentmindedly, staring at the paper in front of her, trying to gain a deeper understanding of the situation. 

Grace hummed quietly, thinking it over. “I had one of those Leapfrog Pad things. It was just educational games and stuff. I never got into computers. My brother had a... what was it called? You played video games on it?” Grace could not remember what it was called. She just remembered her brother never let her play with him. He was kind of a shit like that. Grace’s face went from wondering about a brand name to a memory of her family. Dani watched the memory recede quickly back into the annals of the young woman’s mind. “So, no. Not really. But I can learn fast.” She added. Dani had no doubt Grace would soak up new information like a sponge. Dani regarded Grace quietly as she sipped coffee in silent contemplation. Everything about Grace was all new and familiar at once. Dani had fallen so hard for her so fast. Dani watched the muscled arms and shoulders flex slightly every time Grace brought the cup to her lips. She listened to Grace softly sip the fluid into her mouth. She listened to Grace swallow. She let her eyes wander over Grace’s form, imagining what lay beneath her skin. She was mostly grateful for what did not lie under her skin today. Dani was struck by Grace’s humanity. This mortal woman who would die for her in a second was suddenly so beautiful and powerful in that moment. Dani was overwhelmed with a rising tide of love for Grace. 

“Hey.” Dani reached across the table and put her hand on Grace’s wrist. “I have a couple of hours before I have to do anything else.” 

Grace’s eyes showed Dani that mischievous sparkle. That crooked grin spread over one side of Grace’s mouth. Dani could see her run her tongue over her teeth behind her closed lips. Grace took Dani’s hand and flipped it over on the table. She stroked the palm with her fingers, running them along Dani’s wrist underneath her shirt cuff. Grace loved it when Dani made advances on her. She loved the way the brunette wanted her. Dani made Grace's heart pound like a hammer. Everything that was Dani felt so good to her. It made her want to treat Dani well, all the time. Grace knew she would give her anything. “What do you have in mind, lover?” 

Dani smiled and winked, got up and started to walk away. Grace's coffee cup was left forgotten, alone, on the empty mess hall table.


	14. Solid

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I know the darkness pulls on you. And it's just a point of view  
> When you're outside looking in you belong to someone and when  
> you feel like giving in and the coming of the end, like your  
> heart can break in two, someone loves you."
> 
> -Brandi Carlile

Dani’s room was dark. She never ran the electric lights unless she was out of lamp oil. She tried to make sure that did not happen. She believed in sparing the generators from having to power another room. It was her contribution to conservation. She used the light in the hallway to see herself through lighting the lamp before. Grace remained a tall, thin shadow in the doorway until Dani brought the lamp forward from the bedside table to the kitchenette. Grace stepped in then, and closed the door. This was beginning to feel more and more like home for her. She could not remember the last time she slept in the open barracks. She had been spending all of her nights here instead. 

Dani moved across the floor and directed Grace to sit down. She stood in front of Grace and leaned down, planted her hands on the blonde’s knees, and kissed her. It was a slow and lazy kiss, languid and generous. Grace reciprocated with soft flicks of her tongue against Dani’s lips. The fire between them always burned so hot, all the time. Even when they had to perform in public, the heat was never far beneath the surface. It never took much to call it back up either. Dani pushed Grace’s legs apart and started to kneel down between them. 

Grace broke the kiss. She leaned back to survey the scene. Dani saw the look on her face. A mix of confusion, fear, and anger crossed Grace’s eyes and mouth. The blonde snapped her legs shut suddenly. Dani backed off. “What’s wrong?” She asked, hoping Grace was not having another panic attack. 

“I don’t want you to do that. You don’t have to.” Grace felt deep rooted shame and sudden hostility toward some shadowy entities from the past. 

“Grace, have you ever done this before?” Dani hated to use any terms associated with oral sex. She could not imagine what the problem was. 

“No. But I’ve seen things. I know what it is.” Her tone was cold, like she was trying to back away from Dani and the whole situation without having anywhere to run. 

Dani stayed kneeling in front of Grace. She folded her arms over Grace’s lap and rested her chin on top. She looked up into those blue eyes, trying to give Grace all of her understanding and compassion. “What happened to you?” 

Grace shut her eyes tight, willing her mind to block out the memories from the first few years after Judgement Day. “It’s not what happened to me. It’s what I saw.” Grace took a deep, shaky breath. “Men. They were always in charge of the groups I found. Some of them were ok. Some of them were not. The things they forced women and girls to do to them... they left me alone because they thought I was a boy. That’s why my father cut my hair short.” Her voice trailed off as she ran through something so dark, she could not speak. Dani did not move. She did not say anything. She just let her presence be with Grace. “Being born this way, I felt responsible sometimes for what happened to so many women. I knew I would never force myself on anyone, or ask anyone to do that to me. Especially not you, Dani.” Grace’s eyes began to soften, wet with terrible images of the past. It was all beginning to make sense why Grace was uncomfortable being rough with her. 

“Oh, Grace.” How could Dani compete with that? She just nodded her head and stood. She straddled Grace’s hips, settling solidly in her lap. Dani held Grace’s face in her hands, searching her eyes for the spark of her partner. Dani leaned her forehead against Grace’s. “I’ll never ask you to do anything you don’t want to. But you should know something. It’s a whole different experience when a woman wants to do it.” 

Grace whispered, barely audible, “you want to do it?” Dani recognized it not as an invitation, but as an attempt to understand something new. Grace had only seen the sex act taken by force from the unwilling and powerless. Blow jobs were often used to barter for scraps of food. 

Dani wrapped her arms around Grace’s shoulders, kissing her cheeks lightly, one and then the other. “With you, yes. I just figured you hadn’t yet experienced that. I wanted you to experience it with me. But I’m not asking for anything in return. And I won’t take it from you unless you’re giving it.” Grace did not know how it was possible to love and care for someone so much. Every time she thought she had filled her heart completely for Dani, it began to over flow all over again. Dani never questioned her. To Grace, Dani was unflinching and solid. She seemed to understand everything, never judging. Grace tilted her head so she could kiss Dani. The brunette pulled back slightly. “Are you ok, Grace?” The blonde nodded. Dani knew deep inside that Grace was the only one for her. As much as Grace always wanted to protect her, Dani was instilled with the same instinct for this young beauty. They proceeded. It was soft and safe. Grace held Dani close to her as she kissed her. Shame melted into gentle touches, heated from the flame burning between them. Soon, Grace could feel her desire heighten, her body began to respond to Dani. She could not help herself with this woman. And Dani did not seem to need her to help it. Dani always wanted Grace in whatever capacity she was able to give herself. 

Grace had to wonder, as she ran her fingers through Dani’s hair, pulling lightly on one of the brunette’s hips, what Dani’s mouth would feel like. The sensation associated with the thought forced Grace’s head back on the couch, and her cock grew very hard. A groan involuntarily escaped her. Dani leaned back, just looking. “What was that?” She could feel Grace stiffen against the apex of her legs. They were taking it slow, Dani thought, physically professing love instead of initiating sex. But something had set Grace off in a new direction. Grace held on to the sensation, trying to put her memories in a different part of herself, away from Dani. 

“Do you still?... want to... maybe... try it? With me?” Grace felt her face flush hot. This was strange and new and really scary. But it was Dani. It wasn’t some strange man or the ash covered women. Grace was home, with her lover, who wanted to give her everything. Grace held on to that instead. 

Dani kissed Grace once more before sliding off her lap. She leaned in and looked deep into Grace’s eyes. “Trust me, love.” Grace nodded and bit back a wave of near crippling emotion. Dani pushed the younger woman’s legs open. She was so careful not to force anything. She only proceeded when she felt no resistance. She knelt on the floor between long legs. She began to unlace Grace’s boots and take them off. She liked that Grace’s feet never stank. Grace was one of the cleanest people she had ever met. She took a shower every day if she was able. Her clothes were always clean. Dani would not mind at all putting her mouth on Grace. 

She slid her hands up Grace’s thighs, upward, under her t-shirt. Dani pushed the shirt up under Grace’s breasts, where it stayed. She leaned forward and kissed Grace’s belly, letting her lips and tongue slowly caress the skin there, down into Grace’s navel, and still lower. The fine blonde hair tickled Dani’s lips and nose as she made her way down. She looked up, seeing Grace watching her. Dani unbuttoned Grace’s pants, unzipped the fly, and pulled at them. Grace raised her hips to help Dani get them down and off. Dani ran her hands back up those well-muscled, taught thighs, grazing the hard shaft through briefs. Grace felt herself throb as Dani touched her like that. “Are you ready?” Dani asked? 

Grace let her head fall back against the couch and nodded. Her breaths were shaky, and her heart was racing. She felt Dani pull her underwear down a little, enough to expose her. She could feel Dani’s hand holding her, stroking her. Grace moaned a deep “oooh” when she felt the warm and wet of Dani’s lips fall over her shaft. It was heaven. Dani took every bit of Grace that she could into her mouth, sucking slowly. She listened to Grace’s breathing quicken slightly. Dani slid her mouth back up and off of Grace, just holding her with her hand. Grace looked down at Dani, who was smiling up at her. The eye contact was a needful thing. Dani engulfed Grace’s cock again, taking all she could. Grace sucked in a deep breath, still looking at the woman in front of her. She felt her cock pressing against the back of Dani’s throat, until Dani relaxed and took her even deeper. Grace could not believe it. It felt so fucking good. She throbbed in her lover’s hot mouth. Dani picked up her pace a little bit until Grace felt the intense wave forming in her core. She put one hand on Dani’s shoulder, and the other she used to grip the arm of the couch. She was going to come any second. Dani could sense it, and took all of Grace into her mouth again, allowing the shaft to slip down further. Dani held her breath and sucked in one long continuous stretch, massaging Grace with her tongue. Grace’s back arched and she thrusted her hips up into Dani. Dani took every bit of Grace. She wanted everything she had to give. And Grace cried out loud, “Oh, Dani!” She released, feeling herself letting go down Dani’s throat. Dani just kept herself pressed into Grace’s hips, letting her ride it out in safety and comfort. When Grace had nothing left to give, Dani pulled herself off. Her throat would hurt later, but that was a small price to pay for giving Grace such pleasure. 

Grace pulled her briefs up, then pulled Dani up too. She gazed at Dani, who was breathless from sex and beautiful in it. Grace laid back on the couch, and welcomed Dani into her arms. Dani laid her head between Grace’s breasts, listening to that strong heart that seemed to beat only for her. Grace stroked her back with gentle fingertips. She tried to comprehend the magnitude of Dani’s love, but it was unfathomable. They were thralls to each other. And it was mutual. This wasn’t a desperate situation born of impossible circumstances. This was their fate. 

Grace stroked Dani’s hair in the silence they were able to share. Her thoughts came back to the work they needed yet to do today. “Tell me about Project Phoenix, Daniella.” Dani’s heart swelled inside her chest when Grace said her full name. No one ever called her that except family. Dani started to cry silent tears. Grace was her family.


	15. Nerd Convention

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Neither a lofty degree of intelligence nor imagination nor both together go to the making of genius. Love, love, love, that is the soul of genius.” 
> 
> -Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

The short couple of hours Dani and Grace had spent together were rejuvenating. Both women walked back to the center of headquarters feeling lighter. Dani held Grace’s hand the whole way. They had both lost any care about what others thought of them being together. Their fears had been unfounded anyway. No one looked, stared, whispered, or shunned them. Everyone probably knew anyway, Grace thought. 

Project Phoenix was the name Dani had given to the operation to bring Legion down. Gathering the remnants of humanity’s tech community was their last best hope before the nightmare of augmentation. Dani knew the name was a little grandiose, but it did not matter. What the Resistance needed was a strong surge of hope to get over this next hill. If they failed, Dani feared it would all be over. 

At Dani’s office, Grace leaned in and kissed her forehead. “I’m going to Logistics. I’ll see you later?” 

Dani nodded and let her go. It was time to get serious. Dani went into her office and started work. Several communications had come in while they were resting. There was news from the north and east, and west, at all three command centers. The overwhelming answer to Dani’s call was yes. So far, nine Resistance fighters had been counted that had computer experience. They were coming in asap. 

The northern command had suggested a way to set up x-ray machines at every main bunker and outpost with electricity. They would scan all incoming personnel and survivors. The north had demonstrated that the x-ray machines would most certainly pick up Legion’s metal parts. Hand held wands would not be as efficient since some people had metal parts from pre-war days. They had to be able to spot terminators right off in order to neutralize them. Otherwise, it could just be like leading a wolf to sheep. An infiltrator would most likely be designed to slaughter humans in close quarters. Dani could not risk that. There had to be a quick, succinct way of shutting down a terminator without killing Its connection to the network. What they needed was a way to subdue the machine without it sounding an alarm. Legion would be sure to disconnect it at the first sign of trouble. Dani thought this was where the nerd convention came in. 

Damn it, Grace. Dani laughed to herself. When she had started explaining Project Phoenix earlier, Grace had made a snide comment about the computer techs saving the world. She had asked why Dani called it Project Phoenix and not Nerd Convention. Behind closed doors, they had both laughed until their faces hurt. Grace had a point though. These were the kinds of guys who everyone laughed at in school. They were the ones with no girlfriends or social lives. Dani did not laugh at them because she did not have either of those things, nor could she run a computer. Two of the men from the eastern command who were scheduled to come in were programmers. Dani was elated. She couldn’t wait to tell Grace later. 

Dani leaned over her desk, looking over the area map. Most of the Revs came in from the south and west. Very few came in from any other directions anymore. Headquarters was located directly in the middle of the flow of traffic. It would not take much time for the tech wizzes to arrive. There was not much left to do here alone. She needed to get together with Security to discuss how they could discretely shut down a machine without killing it. Mostly, the Resistance had just been blasting them straight to hell. Another angle of attack, if they could effectively coordinate it would be to take out the remaining Legion manufacturing facilities. If the project did not work out as planned, at least taking out their means of production might buy the Resistance some time. The western front, in Anaheim, CA, would prove to be the biggest pain in their asses. The factory there was huge and heavily guarded. Dani had a sneaking suspicion that’s where the infiltrators were being made. 

Grace got along with Lt. Jameson well enough to work together. They seemed to be cut from the same cloth. Neither of them participated in small talk. It was all business between them. Jameson, Grace was starting to understand, was a brilliant statistician. He could tell you the odds and probability of anything. His mind was sharp. Grace had a great deal to learn from this man. Most of Grace’s education came after the war, and that was not very much at all. She learned to read and write at a high school level. That was farther than most kids got anymore. She learned basic math skills, military strategy, weapons training, and now logistics. Grace’s love of her fellow humans is really what kept her going on the path to learning. She believed the more she could learn from others, the more she could help others. 

Jameson showed her different locations surrounding them that housed the equipment they would need. There was the old airport 14 miles away. There was a hospital within 2 miles. There was even a courthouse within 5 miles of headquarters. Three x-ray machines that they knew of. It also depended heavily upon whether or not any of them still worked. Grace did not like how the odds were stacking up here. 

There were several buildings in the area that contained old pre-war computers, should they need them. The Resistance had not made too many advances on their technology since humanity splintered. Anything useful they had was stolen from Legion. They only needed to be able to connect an infiltrator to one of their computers to see if it would even form a link. If it would, Jameson told her, then they could reprogram it to do whatever they wanted. Just as long as they stayed under the radar of Legions network. Grace and Jameson talked about how that would even happen. Grace suggested using a high voltage device to shock it into submission, and while it was resetting, they could create the uplink, punch in whatever codes they needed and send it on its way. Jameson saw the merit in the idea, but terminators could reset within less than a minute. That was not enough time to reprogram a machine by trial and error. 

“What we need is a way to instantaneously block all incoming and outgoing signals from Legion. I mean, machines get destroyed all the time. If we could just block the signal both ways and make it look like the machine was toast...” Grace’s eyes widened at the idea. 

“Oh, you’re right. And we’re sitting in a giant Faraday cage.” 

“Ok, I don’t know what that is.” Grace never had a problem admitting her shortcomings. 

“A Faraday cage is, well, it’s a cage, basically. It shields an internal source from external magnetic fields. All the old military bases, like this one, used them. There’s a chance that Legion has not updated their signal security because we have not found a way to disrupt it. They could still be operating on the old radio waves they started on.” 

“If it ain’t broke...” Grace began. 

“Don’t fix it!” They both said in stereo. 

“Grace! You’re a genius!” Jameson exclaimed, running out of the room and down the hall. 

“That’s the second time I’ve heard that lately,” Grace said to nobody.


	16. Benched

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Walls rattle like a diesel freighter  
> Blood races like a wave  
> This house wasn't meant for strangers  
> But you come knocking anyway  
> I can hear you knocking on the door  
> I won't leave it open for you anymore  
> I can hear you knocking on the door  
> Knocking on the door of the house of mercy"
> 
> -Sarah Jarosz

A week later, the entire Resistance was at work on Project Phoenix. Computer savvy individuals had poured in to headquarters. Extra bunks were filling up fast. Grace loaned her bunk out to another soldier. It was fine since she was sleeping at Dani’s now. Commander Ramos had almost more than she could handle. The new recruits and reassigned soldiers met every day, often all day in the mess hall, scrambling to put together plans. Coders typed out lines of indecipherable letters and numbers on computers that were 15 years old. 

The bunker began to rumble louder during the day, as all four generators kicked on at the same time. The smell of diesel was always in the air now. They needed the extra power to run the computers and lights. Engineers came in with samples of Legion hardware, trying to extract the software codes that computer techs could work with. Dani was out in the middle of it. At first, she did not know anything about computers. She felt like the odd man out. Everyone was cool about it though, teaching her, talking her through every single step. Dani believed she needed to know how this was going to operate. It was important for her to be involved in all steps of any project. 

Some of the computer techs were not convinced that this would work. They were operating under an assumption that antiquated equipment and software was going to bring down an advanced AI. For all their forward progress against Legion, it seemed sort of unlikely that the machines left that door wide open. Commander Ramos tried to quell the dissent. She was really not in the mood for it. She thanked the techs for their opinions. She rallied them all by saying that Legion had a weakness. Every enemy had a weak link. It was always disguised as a strength. The weakness disguised as strength in this case was that humans had never before attacked the radio signals Legion operated on. The Resistance could not stand idly by and not explore the avenue, not when they were so close to shutting the machines down for good. Everyone seemed to accept that. Commander Ramos stood tall among the people, a pillar in their community. 

Grace began working with an acquisitions unit that was getting ready to go out and bring home x-ray machines. She and Lt. Jameson prepped the team on where to go, what to get, and how to transport it home. Grace worked closer with the infantry soldiers, mostly because she missed going out. She helped them stock ammunition and equipment. They were going out to all the places on the map at once. They could be gone for days. Grace’s heart ached for a mission. And this would be a good one for her to go on because she knew what they were looking for. Grace knew exactly where everything was. She could shoot straight too. She felt like a lame shit staying behind. She continued doing everything she could to get the 50 -member team ready for dust off. She even spent time with the younger members of the unit, reassuring them that they were doing the right thing and would be ok. “Just listen to your commander. Do what he tells you. He’ll see you home safely. And remember, let the bastards get in a little closer than you think they should be before you shoot. Your rifle works best at a closer range. I’ll see you when you get back.” She wasn’t sure how reassuring her words were to the kids, but it’s what someone told her on her first official mission. 

With all the excitement of the day, Grace had not seen Dani since before dawn. She wondered how she was doing with all the computer stuff. Grace wanted to talk to Dani before the acquisitions team took off. She had about an hour. She headed down to the mess hall from the loading bay. Dani was seated next to a guy with black-rimmed glasses and dark scraggly hair. They were staring into a screen, as Dani read him lines of code. Grace stood at her side until Dani noticed her. She looked down at the commander, taking her in. She was wearing her usual dark gray uniform. Her hair was tied back in tight braids. Grace thought she should put it back into the corn rows she had when they first met. Grace always thought that made Dani appear tough. Grace felt her body begin to respond in the proximity of Dani, and how she shined. 

Dani looked up at the looming figure beside her. Grace was dressed in black uniform pants and a white t-shirt. Her hair was all scruffy again, just the way Dani preferred. She reached out and put a finger through one of Grace’s belt loops and tugged. “Hey. Look at this.” Dani showed her how most of the old military networks ran on Ada and Python codes, once you got through their complex firewalls. Dani explained that it could be their way in to Legion. A lot of the cyberwarfare technology did not advance beyond that before Legion took over. 

Grace really wanted to be interested in what Dani was telling her. For one thing, computers were not Grace’s forte. For another thing, the clock was running down. “Can I talk to you for a second?” Dani looked up at her, a little concerned by the tone. Dani patted the tech on the shoulder and stood. They walked together away from the others. Grace sat down on a mess table in front of Dani. 

“What is it? Is everything ok?” Dani was always looking out for her. There was that needful eye contact. Dani always had a way of seeing right into Grace. 

“Yeah, I have a request.” Grace laid it all out. She emphasized how her knowledge would be incredibly helpful on the trip. They’d only be gone a few days at most. They could use the extra help. She could use a mission to recalibrate. She was going stir crazy inside the bunker all the time. 

Dani carefully considered what Grace was asking. She sighed heavily and just said no. She did not follow up with anything either. Just a plain, simple no. 

Grace could not accept that. “Why not? You know I’ll be valuable to them. You know everything I’ve just told you is true. Why can’t I go?” Grace felt like a child asking permission to go to the school dance. This was ridiculous. She dipped her head to hold Dani’s gaze. Dani stared back at her, thinking that Grace’s eyes looked like supernovas right then. 

“Because I said no, Grace. That’s all.” Dani shook her head, breaking eye contact. 

“Are you fucking kidding me? One mission. And no explanation?” Grace had always argued her points with other commanding officers in the past. Sometimes it worked. 

Commander Ramos exploded at Grace. She raised her voice over the crowd. “I said no! You stay here! That’s an order, Seargeant Harper!” 

A hush fell over the entire room. All eyes were on them. Dani glanced around, suddenly very aware at what she had done. Grace could see the blush in her cheeks. Grace could see Dani’s hands shaking. She looked at Grace square in the eye. “Dismissed, soldier.” And with that, Dani walked away, taking her seat back next to the tech with the funny glasses. 

Grace had just had the wind knocked out of her. It felt like a punch in the gut. She looked around the room at everyone staring at her. Fuck this, she thought. She spun on her heel in an about-face, and stormed off down the hall. 

She could not comprehend what just happened. Dani had never yelled at her, let alone in front of the entire company. Grace had the respect of most of the soldiers that were present for that display. She was completely embarrassed. She was more upset that Dani did not give her any kind of explanation. It seemed unreasonable to Grace. She had been fair and up front with Dani. And Dani just barked orders at her like she was a slick-sleeve newbie. It wasn’t fair. It wasn’t cool. And Grace would be damned if she was going to let Dani try and explain it all away with her incredible kindness later. Grace felt mortally wounded. 

She went back to the barracks and grabbed her jacket and hat. She pulled the book Dani gave her out of her footlocker and stuck it in her pants pocket. No matter how mad she was, that was a gift. She’d at least do Dani the courtesy of giving it back. Grace pulled her coat closed and marched off down toward the generators. 

Once downstairs, behind Gen 1, Grace pulled her gray, knit cap down over her eyes. She pulled her knees up to her chest and dropped her head. The thunderous sound of all four generators was loud enough to shatter her. It’s what she honestly hoped for. 

Dani took a look around the mess hall, as dinner approached. Grace was nowhere to be seen. She felt bad for snapping at her in front of everyone, but Grace did not need to push her. The commander’s orders were always final. Dani was not sure if she did it because Grace pissed her off, or because she was pissed off already. She definitely knew she had knocked Grace down a few pegs. Her heart ached. She just wanted to run to her and try to make things better. She knew Grace was stubborn and would stay mad for a while. Dani hoped it would not be too long. Dani felt sick to her stomach. She tried to remain focused on the codes. She had to maintain the illusion of control. Dani felt herself spiraling out of that control.


	17. Gifts of Fruit and Paper

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I know not with what weapons   
> World War III will be fought,   
> but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones." 
> 
> -Albert Einstein

Grace was not sure how long she’d been crouched behind the roaring generators. She had lost all track of time. She had slept in the same position for hours. Her legs ached. Her chest hurt. Her heart felt like it was in a vice. All she wanted to do was run to Dani and fix things. Grace was stubborn though. She did not feel like she had done something wrong. Dani was out of line, yelling at her like that, barking orders in front of everyone. She could assert her authority because she was the highest-ranking officer in the entire Resistance, but Grace felt her tact was lacking this time. The whole thing came out of nowhere. 

Grace understood that Dani did not want her out there. Every time the blast doors opened; survival rates plummeted. It was a risk everyone took. Everyone knew the odds. Grace could not figure out why this time was so much different. 

She raised herself off the floor, taking a moment to stretch out sore muscles. She rounded the corner and ran into a very old man. He could not have been any taller than 5 feet 3 inches. His beard was white and too long. His back hunched under the weight of many lifetimes. He was struggling to pull a rusty old wagon with a 5-gallon cannister of fuel. Grace stopped him with a gentle hand on his shoulder. He had not seen her until then. He stopped and looked up at her. His eyes would have been blue when he was young. Age had turned them into steel gray. He must have been at least 80 years old. Grace took the handle of the old Radio Flyer wagon. He did not resist. He seemed grateful for the help. He led her around to the side of Gen 3. He would not have heard anything she said above the bellowing generators. They stood beside the fuel port, and he picked the cannister up slowly. Grace reached in with gentle arms and took it up for him. She filled the generator up while he stood by, tentatively placing his hands on the side of the can, as if to help her do the job. When the gas can was empty, Grace lowered it back down to the wagon. She smiled at the old man. She reached up and held the embroidered nametag on her jacket, introducing herself as Harper. He did not have a name tag. But he reached out and shook her hand anyway. Then he waved her off with a smile. Grace nodded and headed back up to the main level. 

Grace let her thoughts stay on the old man. She wondered what his name was, and how he got stationed downstairs looking after the generators all by himself. He could barely lift the fuel cannister and pull the little wagon. She wondered if he had any help down there at all. She would ask around after... what meal were they on? What time was it? 

Dani looked up at the clock. It was only eleven in the morning. She had already met with visiting officers for the day. She decided against offering them scotch. It felt like they should all wait until after the Resistance had a victory to celebrate. She leaned back in her office chair, scanning her desk for something more to do. She could always go back to the mess hall and work with the techs. They were making some good progress today. With the recovered Legion hardware, some of them had managed to make connections with the old desktop computers. It was a bit like Frankenstein’s monster, if she was being honest. They’d punch a button on a keyboard and the Legion machine would light up or move. It did not seem like a big deal to look at it, but this was a huge step toward shutting the machines down. 

Dani remembered sitting in the car with Grace and Sarah on their way to the border. It was so many years ago, Dani wasn’t even sure she was remembering it right. She had handed Grace the cell phone Sarah kept in the potato chip bag. Grace cracked the case open on the dash and accessed the phone simply by touching it. “Future shit” is what Grace called it. It was something Grace did with absolute ease, as if she had done it all her life. But Dani had marveled at the technology that Grace’s future had. This future was not that. They had no abilities to touch things and access digital information. Augmentation was still years away according to the last timeline. Dani felt like they were just throwing rocks at the machines now. Where was Grace? Dani did not worry too much about her not coming home last night. She felt that Grace needed some time to herself after their last encounter. The night without her was lonely and cold. Dani missed her badly. 

Grace wandered through the barracks. It was pretty empty right now. Many of the new soldiers were out on the acquisitions mission. The techs would all be down in the mess at their nerd convention. Grace smiled at the thought, remembering how she and Dani had laughed about that. They laughed so hard Grace thought she’d piss herself. Grace stopped at her bunk. Someone else’s duffel was sitting next to her footlocker. Someone else’s coat was hanging from the bed post hook. They had made the bunk up properly. Grace sat down and pulled out the book Dani had given her. She flipped the front cover open to the inscription: I’ll always leave you clues to find me. Grace ran the pad of her thumb over the kind words. She had not found time to read the book at all. The truth was, she did not really care about the book. It was the giving of it that mattered. She flipped the ratty pages from one end to the other. There was something wedged in between the middle pages. Grace stopped and saw the pressed flower. It was faded, purple, brittle. Grace knew Dani had a thing for flowers. Dani loved the delicate forms of life that resisted the fate of the new world. Grace touched the pressed flower gently. She did not want to ruin it. She remembered a time when she was still young, Dani had told her that it was the little things in this life that meant the most now. Dani had said that they had to look for the beauty carefully, because it was still there under all the ash. Grace’s eyes began to soften with tears. She missed Dani fiercely. 

Grace put the book delicately back in her pants pocket, acutely aware of the precious cargo she was carrying now. She left the barracks to go find a meal. 

The mess hall was full of people. Most of them were eating bland meals from ancient plastic lunchroom trays. It reminded Grace of elementary school. Pizza day was her favorite. Grace missed chocolate milk in those tiny paper cartons. Grace always thought it was funny, the things that triggered her memories. She stepped in line with some other people, and got her rations. She sat at a table with some other survivors. Their civilian clothes were worn and full of rips and holes. They were the poster children for the apocalypse, except their hands and faces were clean. It looked like a small family unit. There was a woman about Grace’s age, a slightly older man, and a teenage boy. They hunched over their trays, pushing bites of food into their mouths in silence. Grace knew that feeling, to not know where your next meal would come from, to eat what you had quickly. Grace looked up momentarily, scanned the room and saw Dani by the double doors of the mess hall. Dani looked tired. Worried maybe. Grace lowered her head and reached for her cap. She knew her height and blonde hair were dead giveaways. She peeked between the woman and the man, to see if she had been spotted. Dani’s eyes wandered around the room for another second, and she turned and left back out the doors. Grace sighed and felt the pain in her chest return. Her appetite was gone now. She slid her tray toward the boy. He graciously took her meal and said thanks. She nodded and left without a word. 

Dani wondered if Grace had disobeyed her anyway and went on the mission. She had not seen Grace at all. It was not like Grace to stay away this long. She went back into her office and shut the door. Grace had followed her out the doors. She watched Dani’s office door shut. Grace moved quietly down toward the door. She stopped momentarily to listen. She raised her knuckles up to knock, but was waylaid by the sound behind the door. It sounded like uncontrolled sobbing. Dani was crying. Grace laid her palm flat against the door, wanting to offer Dani comfort in that moment. Grace walked away. 

She knew she was stubborn. She just wasn’t ready to talk yet. It did not matter how much she ached for her partner, or how much it hurt her to know Dani was unhappy. Grace needed time to come to terms with what happened. Lt. Jameson was out with the acquisitions crew, so Grace did not exactly have an assigned duty right now. She felt very detached, flailing about. She hated feeling useless. She made her way back down to the generators. Maybe the old man needed some help. 

He looked like he had not seen daylight in years. His skin was so wrinkled and pale, translucent almost. His hands were blackened by years of dirt and oil. Even when he cleaned up, he was probably still dirty, Grace thought. He was sitting on a stool inside a little closet when she arrived. He was eating something. Grace stood in the doorway and smiled at him. Over the roar of the engines, conversation was not going to happen. He motioned for her to come in. She entered and crouched down on the floor next to him. Whatever he was eating smelled really good. It smelled like... holy shit! He was eating an orange. Grace had not seen fruit all year. Immediately, her mouth began to water. Where did he get an orange? She could not help but stare as the man peeled the skin back. Grace could see droplets of juice flying off under the pressure of his ancient fingers. She watched with great interest. Her stomach began to cramp. She salivated. She really wanted a piece of it, but did not want to take from him. She averted her eyes to the floor, as if she was witnessing something vulgar. A gentle tap on her shoulder brought her attention back up. Between a dirty thumb and forefinger, was half the orange being handed to her. She smiled with all her teeth and accepted the offering. 

The orange was probably not as good as the produce from the past. It was probably grown in an underground garden. This orange had probably never seen the light of day. No matter. Fruit was fruit. The first bite exploded between Grace’s teeth. She had not eaten anything so juicy in a long time. A rush of emotion powered through her and she cried. She could not help it. The orange was so tasty, evoking memories from before everything tasted like paper. Through wet eyes, she looked up at the old man who was smiling at her. He did not have any teeth. His smile was so kind and generous that the wave passing over Grace was too much. Tears fell, and she reached out and held the man’s hand. He knew what she was feeling. He knew it all too well. After they ate their oranges, he took up a pencil and paper, writing his name down for her. Howard Blackburn. She wrote out her full name for him. He looked up, surprised. He probably mistook her for a man. It happened a lot. They started a written conversation about how long he’d been here, if he had help, what her job was, why she was down there at all. Howard’s family were all dead except for his son who worked at the eastern command center. He was an officer there and came to see Howard once a month. That’s where the oranges came from. Grace asked him if he liked to read. He said yes but did not have anything more interesting than the old generator manuals. She decided to make a gift of the book. It was the least she could do for him. She left the pressed flower where it was, trusting that Howard would find it and appreciate it. She thanked him for his company, handed him the paperback, and stood to leave. He turned around and reached into a small canvas bag sitting next to him. He produced a second orange and tossed it to her. She smiled, nodded, pocketed the treasure, and left Howard to the rest of his day. It was nice to make a new friend. 

Dani was growing impatient. She was sorry for snapping at Grace that way. All she needed was a chance to explain it to her. It had been weeks since their reunion in the hospital room. They had spent every available minute together. And all of a sudden, Grace was gone like a wounded deer that Dani had hit with a car. Dani was left with a bunch of damage. She needed Grace to help her through this. There was a rising feeling of urgency inside Dani. It bordered on panic. Dani felt like she was adrift at sea with nothing to tether her. Grace had always been her anchor. Grace had been her harbor. The tempest brewing inside Dani now felt like it would destroy everything. She needed Grace. 

Dinner came and went. Grace took some rations back to the barracks to eat alone. She never liked crowds, and she was still feeling like being invisible. She hoped Howard got his meal and some rest. He probably had a bag full of fruit, at any rate. Grace used the bedroll from her pack to lay on in the extra space at the end of the barracks. All the bunks were full up, including hers. She just made herself comfortable down on the south end, away from the door, away from the traffic. She decided to stretch out for now and go to sleep. She’d deal with Dani in the morning. 

Dani wandered the darkened hallways after hours. She paced up and down between the med bay, Logistics, her office, and the barracks. Grace was nowhere to be found. She was starting to worry about her. Dani decided do one more sweep before giving up for another night. She entered the barracks, and walked past Grace’s bunk. There was someone else sleeping there. None of the occupants of the barracks matched up to Grace’s appearance. But there... on the floor... behind the last bunks, was someone curled up facing the wall. Dani stepped toward them, not wanting to bother them if it was not Grace. But she had a feeling. There she was. All arms and legs, blonde hair and snoring. Her Grace. Dani breathed a sigh of relief. She could not stop herself now if she wanted to. Dani moved down beside her and laid down. Grace felt the presence of someone else and rolled over to meet Dani’s gaze in the dark. Neither of them touched, but they were close enough to feel each other’s heat. 

“Hi you.” Grace whispered. 

“Hi you.” Dani replied. She put her hand out between them for Grace to hold. Grace slipped her hand, palm up, under Dani’s. “Come home.” Dani mouthed. Grace looked at her for a long time, going over everything that had happened in the last couple of days. It was time, she realized. She let go of her anger and her stubbornness. She nodded at Dani and let the commander take her back to 1403.


	18. Truth Will Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "The meaning of life is not out there,  
> but in between our ears; in many ways  
> this makes us the lords of creation."
> 
> -Stephen Hawking

Dani and Grace made love more than once that night. They were wordless through it all. Apologies were expressed through gentle fingers, need spoken through lips and breathlessness. Acceptance granted in mutual climaxes. They laid together, entangled under the wool blanket, exchanging soft touches and their private whispers. 

Dani explained why she lost control in the mess hall. She could not stand the thought of losing Grace during a mission right now. Not when they were so close to destroying the machines. Grace understood that. It was in Grace’s nature to let it all go and simply move on. She did not feel the need to argue. She did not feel hurt anymore. Her only regret was storming off and letting her resentment build. Dani let it go. She knew how much missions meant to Grace. She completely understood that missions were a part of who Grace grew up to be. She was just unwilling to risk it right now. She would compromise anywhere else but there. 

Grace told her about Howard. She asked if he could be reassigned somewhere more suitable to his age and limited capabilities. She offered to switch places with him, and let him work with Lt. Jameson. Grace could handle the generators. Dani said she would consider it, for Howard’s sake. She admitted she did not know he was even down there. She felt bad for leaving such hard work to an old man. Grace told her not to pity him. There was nothing weak about Howard. Grace shared the orange with Dani and told her about the book. Dani was not surprised that Grace had passed it forward like that. She really meant for Grace to keep it as a token of affection, a reminder of hope. Grace was just like that, though, generous to a fault. 

Grace held the last sliver of the orange between her teeth. She lowered her head, bringing the flesh of the fruit to Dani’s lips. Dani parted her lips and let Grace kiss her. She bit the orange in half, feeling Grace’s teeth press against her own. She felt Grace slip her tongue into her mouth just to say hello. Dani pulled back and chewed, smiling at her lover above her. Grace’s eyes blazed bright blue, her smile grand and inviting. Even with the very last of anything, Dani thought, Grace would share it. 

“I love you, Grace.” Dani whispered, cupping Grace’s cheeks in her hands. Grace turned her head and kissed one of her palms. 

“I love you right back, Daniella.” She had been calling her that for a while now. Grace did not call her anything else but that or Commander Ramos. Dani was getting used to her familiarity, and liked it very much. 

Grace laid her full weight down on Dani, resting her forearm by the older woman’s head. She used her other hand to stroke Dani’s side, reaching between them to hold one of the brunette’s breasts. Grace noticed how full it felt in her grasp. She moved her palm to caress the curve of it, slowly grazing the nipple with her thumb. Grace was insatiable for Dani. And Dani responded in kind, kissing Grace’s mouth with hot insistence, using her tongue to dictate her desire. There seemed to be no level of sexual pleasure that could be attained to slake their lust for one another. Dani shifted beneath the blonde, spreading herself open. She loved the effect that move had on Grace. She loved how it made Grace breathe hard all of a sudden. She loved the flash of heat that radiated from Grace. She especially loved how Grace did not have to use her hands to find her opening. Grace worshipped Dani’s body because Grace loved her soul. Everything that Grace did to Dani was a reflection of how she felt about her as a person. Grace did not always have the words to express her feelings, but she was good in bed with Dani. Grace was good to Dani in the most intimate ways possible. Grace slowly thrusted deep inside of Dani and just held herself there, relishing the feeling of tightness and velvet heat. She listened to the moan emanate from her lover below her. Grace loved that sound, knowing she was the reason for it. Grace liked to feel every sensation of being with Dani. The dragging motion of pulling herself out of Dani’s wet vagina was always sweet and intense. The push of Dani’s hips against hers. It was even more than the physical sensations, though. It was the connection between them. During their lovemaking, Grace felt like they were one. She could not understand it any other way, but it felt deeper even than that. Dani could not get enough of Grace’s careful and generous love. She felt safe and protected, adored and needed. Sometimes she could not understand why Grace wanted her this way. She reached around and splayed her fingers across Grace’s naked back, feeling the muscles tighten beneath her touch. That was always a sign to Grace to start moving faster. Dani held Grace’s neck and pulled her closer, whispering “you are perfect for me.” Dani followed it up by letting herself go to Grace’s sexual prowess, moaning and panting wildly as she abandoned her control. That’s what Dani really loved, was the freedom to lose control with Grace. 

In the early morning hours, Grace slept soundly. She laid on her belly, with Dani stretched out half on top of her. Dani ran a finger across Grace’s back, trailing invisible lines between the freckles and tiny moles on the blonde’s skin. Dani created a map of the heavens on her partner, constellations that would help her find her way back home if she ever got lost again. 

From somewhere in the distance, an alarm began to sound. The blast doors were opening. The acquisitions crew was coming in. Grace groaned softly and began to sit up. All personnel would be needed in the loading bay, Grace knew. She leaned over, kissed Dani gently, whispered something sweet to her, and moved to stand. Dani reached for her suddenly, pulling her back down. 

“I can’t go with you.” Dani said, curiously avoiding Grace’s eyes. 

Grace did not understand that. They would need her there to help set up and test the x-ray equipment. Commander Ramos was vital to every aspect of this project. 

She pulled Grace’s ear close to her mouth and told her something. Grace leaned back, eyes wide, searching Dani’s face for confirmation. Had she just heard that? Dani offered Grace a gentle smile, nodding. Grace’s features lit up in the dim light of the bedside lamp. Her eyes glistened as she processed the new information. She let out a loud breath, unable to comprehend it. 

Daniella Ramos was pregnant with Grace Harper’s child. 

Grace did the only thing she could. She held Dani, kissed her, immersed her in every ounce of tenderness she possessed. The timing sucked, Dani told her, but they had created a new life together. Grace’s whole world was rocked. 

And there was no time to sit with it.


	19. Fear of Strangers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "You don't explain to the janitorial staff 
> 
> how your company is part of a sinister organization 
> 
> with goals of global infiltration and control. 
> 
> You just tell them to clean the floor." 
> 
> -Jim Butcher

Grace felt like she’d been shot out of a cannon. Dani had just told her she was pregnant. Grace never was sure that she could have children. She was never checked by a fertility doctor in her life. She just assumed it was never possible, given her mixed biology. It never occurred to her that Dani slept with anyone else. No, the child was Grace’s. The time passed would have been just about right. That meant that Grace had gotten her pregnant the first night they had intercourse. Grace’s thoughts were wild as she made her way to the receiving bay. She could not unpack this now. 

The acquisitions crew was coming in with all kinds of equipment. There were things that looked like little doorways. Grace remembered seeing those at Walmart and other stores, set up as you entered and left the store. They’d detect whether you had stolen items on you. There were also monitors, more computer equipment, tables, conveyors, and boxes of stuff that Grace did not understand. Technology was not her strong suit. She helped unload it all anyway. 

She helped usher in the soldiers that ran the security detail. Two men had been lost at the airport. No one knew what happened to them when the Rev-7s descended upon them. There were shots fired and explosions, and the invariable screams associated with terror and impending death. Everyone else was covered in ash, dirt, blood, and sweat. Grace performed a head count as everyone walked in. 

Once everyone was inside and all equipment secured, the blast doors began to shut. That’s when Grace heard the screams of a woman. She looked outside as a woman and a small child were running frantically for the entrance. Grace’s voice boomed over the commotion. “Hold the doors!” Behind the woman and child were a group of machines, gaining on them. They were only about 100 feet from the door, which was closing fast. Grace realized that the door was programed to shut all the way. You could not reopen it until it was completely closed. As the door crept downward at a steady pace, Grace knelt in the opening, yelling for the two survivors to hurry. The woman reached down and picked the child up and ran like hell. They were not going to make it. The woman struggled with the child. She kept looking back to see the machines, further inciting her panic. Grace launched herself out the door when they were within a few feet of the entrance. She got behind the woman and pushed her, screaming “move your ass!” The woman tucked and rolled under the door with Grace hot on her heels. The door came to a thundering stop. 

“Jesus fuck!” Grace panted. It was close. Too close. They could hear the machines marching closer to their safe haven. Then everything stopped. Everyone in the bay stood stiff and quiet. Grace righted herself and helped the woman to stand. The toddler with her was no more than three years old. They were dirty as any one of the soldiers who had just come in. The banging on the blast doors came next. The little child began to cry again. “Don’t worry, they can’t get through that door. They’ve tried.” Grace explained, dusting off her pants and shirt. 

As if it were a regular day, the acquisitions crew resumed unpacking x-ray equipment. Grace instructed one soldier to go find the quartermaster and bring him to meet the woman. She instructed the woman to just wait until he got there to help her. The woman was terrified. She held her child tightly. Grace could not discern whether the child was male or female from all the dirt. 

Lt. Jameson pulled Grace aside, away from eavesdroppers. “Hey, um, I hate to even think this, but that has never happened before. We’ve never had a mass influx of machines like that, or survivors running for the door. It’s... suspicious.” Grace looked over at the woman who seemed genuinely distraught. He had a good point. Grace considered that the infiltration machines had just arrived. “Delay them.” Grace told him. She turned and ran in the direction of Commander Ramos’s office. 

Dani sat behind her desk, not sure what to do with herself. She questioned whether her decision to tell Grace was misguided. She could have waited until after things had calmed down a bit. The uncertainty of the future had made her decision for her. Grace needed to know that she had helped create the new life. Dani knew that Grace loved her no matter what, and she believed that the blonde would make an excellent parent. That really went without saying, considering everything Dani had witnessed with Grace. 

The knock on her door was loud and fast. “Enter!” Dani commanded. The door flew open to reveal a shaken, out of breath Grace. 

“I think... we have... a problem.” Grace huffed. Dani stood up to meet her at the door. There was something in Grace’s eyes. It was fear. Dani began to panic a little bit. 

“What?” She pulled Grace inside and made her sit down. Grace told her about the woman and baby, how she had run out to make sure they got through the closing door. She said it was stupid and probably a mistake. Jameson was the one who alerted her to the possibility. 

Dani considered all possibilities. She could not throw them outside to the machines. At this point, they did not know if the survivors were infiltrators. By the looks of them, Grace told her, they don’t even know they’re machines. Dani admitted that it would be par for Legion to program something to think it was human. After careful consideration, Dani ordered Grace to have a small security detail escort them down to the med bay. There was a small x-ray machine there, used mostly for detecting a broken bone. Grace nodded, turned, and opened the door. Dani’s hand was suddenly in the middle of her back. Grace turned momentarily. They exchanged a look, shared a second of that special connection. And then Grace was gone. Dani sat down, alone, feeling helpless. She should be out there in the thick of all this. Instead, she was holed up in her office, doing absolutely nothing. Rotten timing. Grace probably would not let her be out there anyway, she realized. Better not to fight it. 

When Grace got back to the bay, she rounded up two soldiers and had them take the survivors across the complex to the hospital. She pulled the corporal aside and told him what to do. “They’re going to x-ray them down there. If anything funny comes up, you know what you have to do.” 

“Seargent, that’s just a woman and a kid.” The corporal protested. 

“Fine, get the fuck out of the way.” She took his rifle, motioned for the other soldier and the survivors to follow her. If they don’t kill me, Dani will, Grace thought. 

The hospital area was always nice and clean. That’s one thing Grace liked about it. She tried to shut her mind down, considering what she might have to do. Grace knew, though, that she could do the unimaginable. If they were machines, then all outward appearances meant nothing. She showed them into the med bay, told the doctor what needed to be done. Everyone in the complex had been briefed on Project Phoenix. No one imagined it would actually happen so soon. 

Dani tried to busy herself with more paperwork. It was no use. She ended up pacing back and forth, wondering if she should just go home. She was interrupted by another sudden knock, still urgent. “Enter!” 

The door opened and it was a soldier Dani did not recognize. The fear inside her peaked in her throat. Her mouth went dry and her stomach knotted up. “Commander, we have a problem.” The soldier was about Dani’s age, female, not very pretty. Her name was Kleniewski. She was from the sanitation department. She stood in the doorway and laid out the trouble. About twenty minutes into her shift, Kleniewski found a body stuffed behind a cleaning supply cabinet. It appeared to be the soldier in charge of the generators. Dani’s skin began to prickle as goose bumps formed up and down her arms. 

“Say that again?” Dani was not sure if she heard correctly. 

“Yeah, I was not sure who it was at first, but I pulled the cabinet out, and it was Thomas, ma’am. He was the guy who knew all about the generators. He’s the only one any of us ever saw down there.” Kleniewski told Dani about the old man who had been working down there for several days. Howard Blackburn. He seemed nice enough, but no one in sanitation remembered ever seeing him before Thomas disappeared. That’s when it hit Dani. The infiltrator had been inside all along. Dani’s heart sank. Grace had spent so much time with him lately. He could have killed her. 

“Ok, Kleniewski, let’s think about this. Who else knows you found... what’s his name?” 

“Thomas, ma’am.” 

Dani made a mental note to take more care learning people’s names from now on. “Alright, who else knows about Thomas?” 

“Just me and Daniels. It was our shift.” 

“Alright. Don't let on that you know anything. 

“Yes, ma’am.” 

“Dismissed.” Dani stood in the open doorway. Grace had told her about Howard’s son being an officer at the eastern command center. She needed to find him. She sent word to the east and waited for the answer. She needed to find Grace. 

The old x-ray machine whined and groaned into action. Grace stood against a far wall, rifle locked and loaded. She stood silently, shifting her gaze between the survivors and the other soldier, who seemed pretty calm. They examined the woman first. 

“What is this for?” She asked. 

“It’s just a test. We require all newcomers to do this. It just tells us if you have any breaks or other ailments that need to be treated immediately.” A total lie, but it was one that she seemed to accept. The doctor panned the device over her head, down her chest, and back up. The screen faced out into the room, and Grace watched the images start to load. If that woman had terminator parts, Grace thought, they’d be in her backpack. The doctor looked at Grace and shook his head. 100% human. The doctor excused the woman and motioned for the child. Since no toddler knows how to sit still, the woman stood beside him and held his hand for the procedure. She gently talked to him saying the doctors just needed to see his insides really quick. The child did not seem to understand any of that, but stood still with help. Grace felt a huge lump in her throat. Her grip on the rifle tightened. She knew what she would have to do. After the news Dani gave her this morning, Grace was suddenly unsure. The images began to load once more. Grace’s heart hammered in her ears. Please, no. Just please, God, no. She prayed. 

100% human. Grace let out an audible sigh of relief. Everything was fine. She did not want Jameson to be right about this. Grace instructed them to follow her to the bay to find the quartermaster, and he would get them sorted out. 

Dani arrived at the bay to find techs setting up equipment. She remembered from the time before how pregnant women were forbidden to be around x-ray equipment. But she was pretty sure that was only when it was in use. These things here in front of here were dented, covered in dirt, and did not look like they had ever been used. Dani approached Jameson. “Where’s Harper?” She asked, looking around. Jameson told her the problem and where they all went. Dani was furious. How could Grace be so reckless? This really wasn’t going to be her day. 

Dani decided instead of trying to go find Grace, she would just wait for her. She was getting hungry and was a little more than a bit annoyed. Dani walked to the mess hall next door to find something to eat. Being the Commander, she knew they would feed her regardless of the time. She was able to pick up some bread and spam, and something that might have once been canned carrots. She ate in silence, alone in the mess hall. A fellow officer came by and handed her an incoming message from the east. Grace must have received word from Jameson because she came running just as Dani was finishing her meal. 

Grace sat down opposite of Dani, clearly shaken from the visit to the med bay. Dani thought about yelling at her. The look on Grace’s face told her it would not help. “Talk to me, soldier.” It was less of an order and more of a way to grant Grace catharsis. Grace told her the whole story. Dani told her they did the right thing. Sometimes, Grace was known for acting before she thought about it, but today that was an asset. Dani pushed her tray away and reached across the table for Grace’s hands. She was met with a very warm and willing pair. It felt good to be grounded with Grace again. 

“I have to tell you something about Howard.” Dani looked up at her, noting the sudden trepidation in her eyes. Dani relayed the story that Kleniewski had told her about the body and Howard’s sudden appearance. Dani had made a communication to the base where Howard’s son supposedly worked. The son told them that Howard had died when the machines overran their town.” 

Grace felt like she was going to throw up. Her head swam. She could not even see straight. She could not think. Panic set in before she had a chance to ground herself. Dani was over the table and clutching Grace, helping her to lay on the floor before she fell too hard. It was too much. She could not even open her chest to take a breath. Grace was paralyzed by fear. All she could see was Dani, leaning over her. And then everything went black.


	20. Champion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "A hero is someone who has given  
> his or her life to something bigger  
> than oneself."
> 
> -Joseph Campbell

Grace woke in the darkness, completely confused. She was not cognizant of time or place. She looked around, trying to get her bearings. There was light coming from under the door a few feet away from her. She slowly realized she was in Dani’s bed. Her bed. Her mouth felt like it was full of sand. She reached beside her and lit the little lamp. The light threw shadows across the room. Grace saw a pitcher of water on the bedside table with a small glass. Grace grabbed the pitcher and started drinking as if she had never had water before. She stood up and moved to the couch, taking a few minutes to ground herself. Her boots had been taken off, but she was still dressed. 

The floor beneath her suddenly shook with great force. It felt like the entire bunker was moving. The lamp fell over on the bedside table. Grace heard the sound of breaking glass. She turned quickly and saw flames engulf the bedside table. She stood, holding the pitcher half full of water. Flaming droplets of oil fell to the floor. She ran over and thought about throwing the water on it, but that would have only made things worse. Grace grabbed a towel from the bathroom and began to beat the flames down before it got any worse. Alarms were sounding outside the room. What the hell was going on? 

Grace put her boots on without lacing them. She ran to the door and out into the hall. It was dark. Red emergency lights were popping on all down the hall. The alarms sounded like klaxons, warning of a tornado. Grace had heard a siren like that once before in her childhood. It was scary then. It was scary now too. A feeling of dread seeped through her adrenaline rush, and all she could think of was Dani. Where was she? 

Grace flew down the hall toward Dani’s office. No dice. People were running back and forth through the halls, trying to figure out what just happened. People were saying they had been attacked by Legion. Others were offering theories about infiltrators setting off explosives somewhere inside the base. Grace did not know where to find Dani. Her heart clenched in her chest as another wave of panic threatened to take over. She breathed deep, staring around in the darkened hall. The emergency lights were not helping her state of mind. She took a step forward and headed to the bay. There should be people down there, and maybe they knew what was going on. 

Dani felt the shock all the way up through her legs and into her head. The motion of the entire base threw her to her knees. She hit her head against the wall when she went down. She raised her fingers up to touch her temple where it impacted with the concrete. Blood was flowing freely from a gash. She pressed her palm tightly against the wound, and forced herself to stand. The lights flickered and went out. All the power on the computers was out. Dani shouted at the techs to report what had happened. No one knew. The red emergency lights began to blink on one at a time as the emergency alarms sounded. Was this from an outside attack? She could not know. Her head was starting to pound. As Dani stood still, trying to think of an answer, she noticed that aside from the alarms and people shouting, the rumble of the generators had stopped. Fuck, she thought. She turned and ran, heading for the lower levels. 

Grace headed straight for the barracks. She decided her only way to help, was to be a soldier and prepare for an incoming fight. She found her equipment right where it was. Some of the bunks had been toppled and displaced during the... explosion? Is that what it was? It did not make any sense. It had never happened before. She put on her helmet, not bothering with the chin strap. She pulled on her vest and strapped it down tight against her chest. Her rifle was under her bunk, behind her foot locker. Or it was yesterday. She found it three bunks down under someone else’s pillow. 

Grace was trying to force down the panic. She hated the machines and how fucking tricky they could be. If this was an assault on the outside, Grace would be going out. She knew that. There were standing orders that if any Resistance base were under attack, every man, woman, and child would be given a weapon to defend humanity with. Grace took off down the hall, headed for the mess. Dani would probably be there, assessing damage to the new tech. 

As Dani neared the room housing the generators, smoke began to roll out toward her. It got thicker with every step she took forward. She really should not have come down without help. She could hear yelling coming from the generator room. There were people from the food lab and sanitation trapped on the other side. “Hey! Who's’ down here?! Sound off!” Dani ordered into the thickening cloud of smoke. Her throat and lungs were starting to burn with every breath she took. She took off her uniform shirt, leaving her with her black service t-shirt on. She pressed the fabric of her over shirt to her mouth and nose to use as a mask. The smoke was burning her eyes. Diesel fumes were thick in the air. 

A series of voices sounded from within the cloud of smoke. 

“Kleniewski!” 

“Daniels!” 

“Blackburn!” Dani could not let him know she was onto him. She kept her cool and stayed quiet. At least she knew where he was right this minute. 

“Sudgens!” 

“Downs!” 

There was a break in the sound off. “Anyone else!?” Dani yelled? 

A woman’s voice from within answered, “Thomas... but he’s dead!” 

“Can you find a way through?” Dani knew she was reaching. She could not ask them to run through the suffocating smoke or anything hazardous. This whole area was hazardous. Dani coughed and began to choke on the thick smoke. It was overpowering. 

“We got the fire put out, but we can’t see shit!” 

“It looks like part of the ceiling collapsed. It’s blocking our exit. One of the generators exploded.” 

Dani tried to think for a minute. She had to get these people out of here. There was only one way to do it. She had to get in there and help them shift some debris. She needed to see what they were up against. She could hear the coughing and choking coming from their direction. It was clear that there was no time to go back for help. These people were caught in a dead end. 

Dani moved forward, despite what her body was clearly telling her. It was unnatural for her to move forward. She should want to flee the scene. Inside, the glow of the emergency lights did little to cut through the smoke. She could not see flames, thank goodness, but there was a lot of damage to the structure of the room. She looked up and could see the next level above. There was a gaping hole in the ceiling. She wheezed and coughed, feeling her lungs tighten up with every labored breath she took. 

People began to appear from the hole above them. Dani yelled for them to get some ropes and tie-down straps and start getting the others out of there. If she could not get them out through her direction, they could be rescued from the upper level. 

Dani felt her head getting light. She could not breathe. She pressed the makeshift mask to her face harder, trying to filter the smoke out. Her eyes felt like they were bleeding. She shut her eyes tight and waited for the feeling to pass. 

Grace met the techs down by the bay. Dani had been there, but took off running once the emergency lights came on. No one knew where she had gone. Grace stilled herself. The rush of worst-case scenarios was too much for her. Where was Dani? She could not begin to know, and there was a lot of ground to cover. Dani might be looking for Grace. That was possible. Grace turned, and sprinted through the mess hall, taking the hallway past the quartermaster’s office, and nearly fell into a huge hole in the floor. Someone reached out and grabbed Grace by the collar of her jacket before she fell forward. “What the fuck?” Grace whispered. She gazed down into the hole, which was choked with black smoke. She coughed and recoiled. 

“There’s people down there!!” Someone yelled to her. They were tying up a harness to help haul them out one by one. Grace nodded but realized they had more people to help than needed. She turned, intending to go down to the med bay. Maybe Dani would be there. She heard the cough from the lower level. She heard it again, fainter this time. She heard the woman’s voice, weak, distant, cry for help. 

“Dani!” Grace’s voice cut through the commotion and smoke. She was met with silence. “Dani, are you there?!!” 

From inside, someone else yelled, “Commander Ramos was just on the other side of this. She stopped talking a minute ago!” 

Grace’s heart beat faster. Her stomach knotted. Dani and her child were in danger. It was not a thought that Grace could deal with. Her feet carried her with great speed in the other direction, toward the flights of stairs leading to the generators. She felt like she was in a dream and could not move fast enough. She felt like she was trying to run underwater. She could not lose Dani. 

Dani’s consciousness waned with every stinging breath. All she knew was pain and fear. She could not believe this was how her world was ending. She thought she heard Grace call out to her. But she could not see. Her eyes felt like they had been burned out of her head. She felt the warm trickle of blood down the side of her face and neck. She felt sorry for the little life inside her. Never even had a chance, she thought. 

Grace moved down the winding stairs. She jumped the last three steps and kept running straight forward. The corridor was full of smoke, but she did not feel it. It was not until she could no longer see where she was going that she even slowed down. Then she heard another soft cough. Dani! 

Grace stopped and tried to keep her eyes open. She put her t-shirt collar up over her mouth and nose. She took a step forward and tripped over something. She heard a groan. It was Dani. Grace knelt beside the heap laying on the floor. “Dani, I’m here. Dani. Can you hear me?!” 

“Gr... Grace.” Her voice was little more than a croak. Dani felt strong arms under her knees and shoulders. She was being lifted. 

“I’ve got you.” Grace said. Dani heard her voice and knew it was her. My champion, she thought as Dani let herself pass out. 

Grace carried Dani back up the stairs, away from the smoke and damaged structures. Once up on the main level, Grace laid Dani on the floor, checking to see if she was breathing. Grace checked her pulse and airway after pulling Dani’s uniform shirt away. She could hear Dani’s raspy breathing. She was alive. Grace picked her back up in her arms and headed to the med bay on the other side of the base. As quickly as Grace was moving, it just felt like it was too slow. Every step she took felt like a step backwards. She kept her eyes ahead of her, using the emergency lights for navigation. She murmured soft words to Dani, trying to keep her anchored in this life. 

She made it to the med bay with Dani clutched tightly to her chest. The doctor and nurses swarmed as Grace gently laid Dani down onto a bed. There was a rush of activity. An oxygen mask was placed over Dani’s face. Handheld lights examined her eyes, nose, ears, and mouth. Grace stood close, holding Dani’s hand. She was barely conscious. The cut on her head did not look terribly serious. Head wounds just bled profusely. Grace knew that, having had several herself. She could not process the thought of losing Dani. Even though Grace did not believe in God, she prayed. She lowered her head and prayed with everything she had for Daniella Ramos. 

The doctor turned to Grace after several long moments of examining the commander. “We’re going to treat her for smoke inhalation. She’ll be fine, Seargent.” Grace took comfort in his words, but she would not leave Dani’s side no matter what. 

Dani woke up and started to come around. Her eyes focused on the blonde hair of her partner sitting close by. “Grace.” Her voice was rough. Grace closed in on her, taking her hand and squeezing gently. “I’m ok, Grace.” She managed a smile through the oxygen mask. There was a weird whirring noise from somewhere inside the bunker. The lights came back up. Someone got the generators running again. The brightness of the overhead lights was shocking after having been exposed to nothing more than dim emergency lighting. Grace turned her attention back to Dani. 

“I know you’re going to be ok. You scared me. And when everything settles down, we’re going to have a talk about you risking your life like that.” Grace tried to be as gentle as she could, but the truth was, she was really mad about it. “It’s not just your life anymore, either,” Grace whispered, biting back the strong feelings that would certainly make her cry. She wanted to be strong. 

“Grace.” Dani squeezed her hand tighter. “I’m sorry. It’s just who I am.” 

“I know, baby. I know.” Grace resigned her anger and replaced it with gratitude.


	21. A Necessary Evil

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “A little evil is necessary for obtaining a great good.” 
> 
> -Voltaire

The next afternoon, Dani was released from the med bay. Grace had never left her even for a moment. Grace was a bit overbearing, fussing over Dani, wanting to take care of everything for her. Dani thought it was really sweet, but unnecessary. She tried to get Grace to go be helpful in the loading bay, with the new equipment, but Grace wasn’t having it. They went back home so Dani could change clothes and get ready for what was coming next. Howard had to be dealt with sooner rather than later. So far, the generator explosion was believed to be accidental. Howard claimed he had no idea what happened. He said he just filled it up with gas and it started making a funny noise. It was convenient, Dani thought. No one would have been there with him to corroborate his story. Dani believed Howard was a machine. The techs would have everything up and running again soon. The workers from the lower levels were staying in the barracks for now, until the damage and debris could be cleared below. 

Grace flipped the switch on the wall inside their room. The overhead lights came on. Grace did not like the look of the room under florescent lighting. It looked so cold, like every other room in the base. The lamp had softened the room. That’s what Grace was used to. She sat on the couch and leaned her head back, finally letting herself relax a little. Dani went into the bathroom and started running water to clean her face. She asked Grace if she was hungry, but there was no answer. She moved into the room and stood behind the couch. Grace was asleep. Dani leaned down and softly kissed her forehead. She scribbled a note and left it beside Grace’s leg. 

“My love, 

Stay here for the night. That’s an order. I’ll be home later. I love you. 

D.” 

She buttoned up her new uniform shirt, turned the light off and left quietly. She did not want Grace to be around for what she had to do next. 

Back at the loading bay, Commander Ramos ordered two soldiers to retrieve Howard Blackburn from the barracks and bring him to the bay. Dani helped the techs get an x-ray machine set up and working so they could scan Howard. Everyone was on edge. Everyone was ready to shoot. 

Howard shuffled along between the soldiers. His back was hunched and he did not look like he could hurt a fly. He held the wall as he walked. He was slow. He was confused. The soldiers did not know if they were doing the right thing, but they were following orders. Dani stood at the entry way of the receiving bay, watching them bring Howard toward her. 

“Howard. I’m Commander Ramos. I don’t think we have met.” Dani did not know why she was dispensing with pleasantries. If this guy was a machine, she would shoot it herself. Howard panted and smiled up at her with his toothless grin. He looked completely harmless. The soldiers ushered him over to the x-ray tech. They instructed him to simply walk through the gate. 

Howard shuffled forward. He took a step into the gate and the alarm sounded immediately. The images on the screen showed a hidden monster of nightmarish proportions. Everything inside Howard Blackburn was a part of Legion. Though he did not look like it, Howard could kill with the slightest provocation. From behind him, a big soldier with an enhanced taser stepped forward and pressed it to his frail looking neck. Howard went down. Three other soldiers took him away to the mess hall. 

Howard laid on a table, strapped down with heavy canvas bindings. His head was bound, as were his arms, legs, chest, feet and hands. Howard was not going anywhere. As he came to, he started to ask what was happening. He did not know what was going on. Dani felt a pain erupt inside her spirit. This wasn’t right. But Howard was not human. He only thought he was. The techs began the process of stripping away the skin at the side of his neck, searching for a port that most terminators had for uploads. Howard screamed and cried as they cut into him. Something akin to blood flowed from the wounds. The techs stepped back and looked at Commander Ramos in disbelief. They did not want to continue. 

Dani forced herself to proceed. “It’s smoke and mirrors, people! It’s a machine! Find the spot!” They continued with shaking fingers and scalpels, cutting away more skin and tissue until the machine parts were visible. Wires. All kinds of wires. Dani came around to see their work. It reminded her so much of how Grace had been torn open on the dam. She swallowed her fear. “Do it.” 

The techs found the port, a small opening behind much of the wiring. They connected a single cable to Howard and began the process. Thousands of lines of code had been written for this moment. Dani was not about to stop now, with the fate of humanity on the line. “Commander,” one tech looked up at her from a busy screen. “We’re ready to upload.” 

“Do it.” She did not hesitate. The tech started the upload. There were a few moments when nothing happened. Dani wondered if this was a fool’s errand. She rubbed her chin and crossed her arms across her chest. She was suddenly freezing. There was a hand on her shoulder. She spun around right into Grace. “I told you to stay home.” She knew her words had no impact. 

Grace stayed silent. She had the wool blanket from their bed pulled over her shoulders. She just watched as they carved up the person she had made a connection with. She knew the truth, but that did not make it any easier to bear. Dani took a half step backward to lean against Grace. 

Howard coughed. His eyes blinked open. The computer screens beside him began to run through all the lines of code. Howard did not protest. He did not even speak. He just laid there, blinking his eyes. “The uplink is successful, Commander.” The tech spoke softly. Could it really be true? Had they just reprogrammed a terminator? The codes were designed to be instantly spread through the neural network of Legion, ordering it to go offline permanently. Machines did not question. They just did what they were told. Dani Ramos could only hope it would actually work. Legion was smart. It could have no effect at all. There was only one way to find out. Howard had to leave. 

“We have to open the blast doors,” Jameson announced. “There could be Revs still on the other side of the wall. We could be walking right into a trap, Commander.” 

“Noted, Lieutenant.” Dani walked over to Howard. She looked down into his now lifeless gray eyes. “You have a mission. What is it?” 

“I. I... don’t know what you mean. I work down with the engines.” Howard still believed he was human. “Why are you doing this?” 

“Get him out of here.” Dani was sick of fucking machines making her life hell. This had gone on too long. She decided right then that if the doors opened and Revs came pouring in, the war would be over for them all. At that point, it would not matter what happened. She knew it had to happen, regardless. 

The techs released the straps and Howard sat straight up, eerily like a machine. He looked over at Dani. His gray eyes were glowing a soft red. He blinked a couple of times, and they turned gray again. He slid off the table and stood straight for the first time ever. Grace shook her head and turned her back to the scene. Dani gave her a gentle push, letting her know it was ok if she wanted to leave. 

Howard made his way to the bay doors. He stood in front of them, not looking back. He was almost flush with the thick metal wall. “Why is he acting like that?” Dani whispered to a tech. 

“The code has run its entire cycle through his processor. We did that to make him docile so he would not freak out and kill everyone in the room. All he knows now is to go home.” The tech whispered back. 

Dani took a deep breath, considering what might be on the other side of the door. “How long will it take to spread the signal?” 

“It should be almost instantaneous, once he gets outside of the cage.” 

Several soldiers held rifles, positioned along the walls behind Howard. The Resistance was as ready as it would ever get. “Open it.” Commander Ramos’ authoritative voice boomed through the bay. With the press of a button, the alarm sounded. It squawked through the mess hall, alerting everyone on base. The blast doors made a solid grinding noise, like a garage door on steroids. A soldier fell to the floor to look underneath, checking to see if the Revs awaited them. 

“Clear!” he yelled, getting back to his feet. As soon as Howard’s head cleared the door, he walked outside. Everyone stood behind him watching. Even Grace had joined Dani’s side for the spectacle. 

Howard’s feet hit the dirt outside. He looked in one direction, into the sky, and then another. He turned slowly to look at the group of humans standing behind him, terrified. Howard smiled. His eyes turned bright red again. And a voice that was not his rose up from his throat. 

“Well played.” It was a machine voice. 

All the life, electricity, or whatever was powering the infiltrator stopped. Everyone stared in stunned silence. Was that it? Did it happen? Did Legion catch on too soon and shut him down? They had no way of knowing. Grace walked forward toward the door. Dani reached out and grabbed her arm. 

“No.” Dani’s voice was not authoritative. That was Grace’s partner, worried about her safety. Grace looked into her eyes, pulled her arm back to her side, and walked toward Howard. She looked at him in the eye. She reached out and touched him, but there was nothing there. There was no Howard. There was no machine. It was a statue. A testament to technology and evil intentions. Grace put her hand in the middle of its chest and pushed. It fell over backwards, stiff, dead. It hit the dirt and raised a cloud of dust. It was just a thing. 

“Commander!” From the rear of the mess hall, Dani’s assistant was running toward them at lightning speed. “Commander, word from the north!” 

“Out with it!” Dani barked. 

“They have all stopped. Every...single one...just stopped.” 

Silence. 

Grace walked outside past Howard. She clutched the blanket around her shoulders. She had not been outside without armor on in many years. It felt cold, and alien to her. She stood and looked around. Nothing was different. There were no machines nearby. 

It was hard to grasp. The news continued to pour in from every occupied territory, outpost, and command center. The machines had just stopped. The Resistance had won. Humanity prevailed.


	22. Epilogue

It was not a loud victory. It was a terrible price paid over too many years. But it was over. Perhaps humans would learn their lesson about how much machines should help them. There was no way to know that, except living every day and walking together toward that future. 

Grace stood quietly on the edge of the hill looking over the valley. Headquarters was still her home for now. Months had passed since the machines stopped. The world was quiet now in a way that did not inspire fear. The sun shone down on her skin, warming her all the way through. She swore if she looked close enough down the valley, she could see trees beginning to bud. She thought she might have heard birds. She heard boots behind her in the dirt. Dani moved to stand beside her, putting her arm around Grace’s waist. Grace slipped a long arm around Dani and pulled her in tight against her side. They enjoyed the moment without terror, without armor, without weapons. 

Grace turned to Dani and cupped her face. She leaned down and pressed her lips against the brunette’s. Dani returned the soft kiss, putting her hands against Grace’s chest. They looked at each other lovingly. It was their first kiss outside the bunker. Grace had convinced Dani to go for a short walk while it was nice outside. 

The techs had taken all the old computer equipment and set fire to it. That was how they celebrated. The soldiers laid down their rifles and drank until they passed out. The food lab shut down, and started to move gardens back outside. Humans had started to live outside again. There was much to do, and now there was time to do it. 

Dani Ramos had spent almost half of her life as the Commander of the Human Resistance. She had spearheaded a war against machines and came out on top. She never would have imagined this was how her life would go. But it was her fate. She did not have to make the decision to send Grace back to protect her. She did not have to watch so many humans endure the augmentation process. Billions of lives had been lost in the last 15 years. Dani did everything in her power to save the ones remaining. 

Grace placed her hands gently on Dani’s swollen belly. She felt her baby kick and move within the woman she loved. Dani smiled up at Grace. “He knows your touch.” Grace felt the rush of emotion rise up inside of her. It was the same every time. Every time with Dani felt like the first time. She would always love her. Dani held Grace’s hand and laid her head on her collar bone. Grace wrapped both arms around Dani, lovingly and protectively. 

“How do you know it’s a he, Daniella?” Grace grinned. 

“If it’s a girl, smartypants, whatcha gonna name her?” Dani teased. Grace looked at her tangling her fingers in Dani’s loose hair. 

“Hope.”


End file.
